


Beautifully Broken

by blackrose_17



Series: Magic and Aliens [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Torchwood
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Crossover Pairings, F/M, Ianto Jones: Wizard, M/M, Mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-26
Updated: 2012-09-14
Packaged: 2017-11-10 18:40:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 30,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/469454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackrose_17/pseuds/blackrose_17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The war had left him broken, but could Torchwood, and more importantly, Jack, heal him, or would the remains if his heart shatter?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Ianto Jones Big Bang Round One

**Title:** Beautifully Broken  
 **Fandoms:** Torchwood/Harry Potter  
 **Pairings:** Jack/Ianto, Sirius/Remus, Draco/Harry, Blaise/Luna, Snape/Neville, Rhys/Gwen, Owen/Tonks, Charlie/Tosh, Andy/Hermione.  
 **Summary:** The war had left him broken, but could Torchwood, and more importantly, Jack, heal him, or would the remains if his heart shatter?  
 **Rating:** R and sometime NC-17  
 **Word Count:** 30,361  
 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Torchwood or Harry Potter; I do own Emily Jones though.  
 **Thanks to:** royalladyemma for all her amazing beta work.  
  
 

_Twenty-three years ago_

 

Worry and fear griped her as she moved silently through the shadows, careful to make sure that she wasn’t followed.

 

Something was wrong, dreadfully wrong.

 

Quietly, and with her wand drawn, she slipped into the house without a sound.

 

Hazel-green eyes met devastated amber eyes and she knew deep within her heart that nothing would ever be the same again.

 

“Remus?” She whispered softly as not to startle the shaken wolf or wake the sleeping bundle in his arms.

 

“James and Lily are dead and everyone believes that Sirius sold them out to the Dark Lord.” Remus’ voice was laced with such pain that it brought tears to her eyes.

 

“No! How could anyone believe that? Everyone knows how close James and Sirius are.” She would never believe that of the man she knew. Sirius would _never_ sell out his housemate; James was one of his best friends, and his brother in everything but blood. Her heartbreak grew when she thought of the death of her own best friend; Lily would be greatly missed.

 

Remus met her eyes with heartbreak and determination in his amber eyes. “Emily, I need you to take Ianto and leave the wizarding world.” The normally calm wolf demanded.

 

Emily Jones felt her mouth drop open; never in any part of her mind did she ever think that Remus would ask such a thing, never mind order her to do it. Her mind floundered for a moment, and she couldn’t think of what to say. Finally, she gasped,

 

“Remus, you can’t be serious? I know nothing of raising a child, and besides, Ianto should be raised by his father.” Emily tried to reason with her friend.

 

But Remus was not to be denied; he shook his head and kept his gaze locked on hers as he stated seriously, “Emily, they will take Ianto from me, we both know this! In their eyes I am a dark creature; they will never let me raise my own son. Please take him; I need to know Ianto will be raised by someone who already loves him.” Remus implored her. “And you’re wrong; you will make a wonderful mother; look at how well you helped keep James and Sirius in line.”

 

Despite the situation, Emily rolled her eyes. “Yes, and I did such a wonderful job there.” Sarcasm dripped off her every word.

 

Remus knew that the former Ravenclaw woman was now the best choice to raise his son. Both Emily and Lily had been by his side throughout his pregnancy, and together, they had helped bring Ianto into the world. “Emily, there is no one else that I trust as much as I trust you with the life of my only son.”

 

Careful as not to wake or drop his sleeping son, Remus freed one hand and rested comfortably on her shoulder. “I know this is a lot to ask, but you are the only one Ianto and I have left. _Please_.” He pleaded with his friend.

 

Something inside Emily gave way and she nodded. “Fine, I’ll do it, but damn it, Remus, you _are_ going to be a part of this boy’s life, and he _will_ know the truth about his fathers and where he comes from.” She growled in warning as she pointed a finger at him.

 

Remus nodded, agreeing to her terms, a tearful mixture of gratefulness and sadness lingering in his eyes as he looked down at his son. “Always remember, Ianto, that your daddy and I will always love you, my little miracle.” Remus whispered to his son, kissing him gently on the forehead.

 

Sleepy blue eyes fluttered open and Ianto’s tiny hand wrapped around Remus’ fingers, and they gazed into each other’s eyes.

 

“We need to get moving.” Emily spoke up softly, hating to disturb the tender father and son moment.

 

Remus closed his eyes and nodded, vainly trying to hold back the tears that wanted to fall; he was unsuccessful as a single tear rolled down his cheek. He knew that he was doing the right thing, but it killed something within the wolf to know that in one night he had lost his best friends, his mate and now, despite his promise to remain an active part of Ianto’s life, he felt like he was losing his son as well.

 

The pain was unbearable.

 

Emily wasn’t even going to pretend she could understand what Remus was going through, but she could be a friend, which is something Remus clearly needed.

 

“It’s time to go.” Emily spoke quietly, Remus nodded and together the three of them slipped quietly from the wizarding world.

 

*****

_Twenty-three years later_

 

Ianto let his eyes flutter closed. _‘I have no doubt that this will only lead to new nightmares, as if I don’t already have enough._ Everything hurt; he didn’t know a body could stand this much soul-searing pain. Not even the war had left his body this battered and bruised. But this pain was nothing compared to the fact that his team-mates had completely ignored him.

 

Gwen, the so-called bloody heart of the team, had left him lying in the blood and filth on the floor, still tied up and gagged, as she rushed to Jack’s side.

 

Ianto had thought that at least Tosh or Jack would have spared a moment of their time to wonder where he was, but nope, he was left in that slaughter house alone while the animals who did this to him received medical treatment.

 

That fact alone cut deeper than any weapon ever could, to know that he was that easily forgotten by his so-called teammates. During the war, _no one_ had been left behind or forgotten.

 

Thank Merlin for his magic, otherwise he might still have been tied up and forgotten.

 

Now all Ianto wanted to do was go home and nurse his wounds, all of his wounds.

 

_‘I have no doubt that they are going to be there waiting for me.’_ Ianto knew without a doubt that the magical charm, which he wore at his parents urging, had gone crazy when he’d been attacked, and that meant he would have a group of worried people waiting for him when he got home. It soothed the deep wound in his soul that while the team might never accept him, he did indeed have others who cared about him.

 

Not for the first time, he wondered if he shouldn’t return to the wizarding world and leave Torchwood, and its team, behind him as nothing but a bad nightmare.

 

“It’s time to go.” Jack announced as he moved towards his team; he glanced at Ianto out of the corner of his eye, wishing he could comfort the young man, but not knowing how. He had brought Ianto along in hopes of making him part of the team; on a selfish note, he wanted to reclaim the relationship they had shared before Lisa. _‘Brilliant move, Harkness, instead of reconnecting with him, you nearly got him killed.’_ Jack growled at himself.

 

Hearing Jack’s announcement, Ianto somehow forced his body to move. Every step sent waves of pain shooting throughout his body and he nearly toppled over, but strong hands caught him just in time and cradled him with the outmost care.

 

“Are you okay?” Jack’s worried voice breathed into his ear. Ianto wanted to snuggle into that broad chest and forget about the rest of the world, at least until it stopped spinning so badly. He relished the feeling of Jack’s arms around him, holding him gently but firmly.

 

Ianto lifted his head and met Jack’s brilliant blue eyes; he was quite surprised to see so much emotion shining from them. “I’ll be fine, Sir; I’d just like to get home,” he admitted softly. He couldn’t understand why Jack was being so kind to him when less than a month ago he was willing to put a bullet through his head. _‘Not that I don’t like Jack’s attention on me,’_ he thought. After all, even _Lisa_ had noticed he had that he was falling hard for Jack.

 

Ianto winced as Jack’s words, ‘ _You hid yourself from us,’_ came rushing back to him, and in truth, Jack had no idea how right he was. _‘Everyone has secrets, I just happen to have a few more than most people.’_ Ianto thought to himself.

 

_‘Like, for starters, my name is not Ianto Jones. No, I was born Ianto Black-Lupin, and I was raised by Emily Jones, my adopted mother, and by my father, Remus Lupin._

 

_‘My second secret, well, neither of my fathers was a master tailor. No, one was a wrongfully accused mass murderer, and my other father is a werewolf. My mother was a childhood friend of theirs and the only one left to raise me in the Muggle world, free from the hatred of being the child of mass murderer and a ‘so-called’ dark creature. And, oh yeah, and we’re all wizards.’_

 

Ianto had no doubt that his team would think he was crazy, because despite their jobs, it was abundantly clear that they didn’t believe in magic. Take the Mara, or the fairies as the others called them, for example. They were magic, old magic, and Ianto knew to stay far away from them and their chosen ones. Wizards both respected and feared the Mara, and given how badly Muggles sometimes treated their young, some children were better off living with the Mara.

 

Jack trailed his eyes over every inch of Ianto’s injured body, taking in every cut and bruise. His eyes lingered on the mark on Ianto’s throat and he felt burning hot rage boiling in his veins. Those bastards! They had tried to eat _his_ Ianto. Jack was now wishing that he had killed those monsters instead of letting them live. _‘I see a big dose of Retcon in their future.’_ Oh, yes, Jack was going to make sure that they were nothing but a drooling mess by the time he was through with them. How _dare_ they try to tenderize his Ianto!

 

Setting aside thoughts of revenge for the moment, Jack looked down at Ianto. Right now what mattered was the wounded man in his arms. “Are you sure I shouldn’t get Owen to look you over?” Jack asked, ready to call for the doctor.

 

Ianto’s gentle shake of the head and his hand on Jack’s arm stopped him. “Don’t bother him; my mother is a nurse, I’ll give her a call. I really don’t want to risk her wrath of finding out that her baby was injured and I didn’t tell her.” Ianto shuddered, remembering how he, his dads and others, had hidden some of their injuries from her during the war. Emily Jones may be a sweetheart, but she could also be a fire-breathing dragon when someone she loved tried to hide any type of injury from her.

 

“I didn’t know your mother was a nurse.” Jack silently cursed himself; that was just one more thing he didn’t know about Ianto.

 

Ianto looked up at Jack with sadness in his eyes. “You didn’t ask,” he pointed out softly.

 

_‘When’s the last time you ever asked me anything about my life?’_ Jack closed his eyes in shame as he remembered Ianto throwing those words at them. Despite everything that had happened, the others, including Jack, himself, still kept Ianto at a distance. They didn’t know how to approach the man, and in truth, they still didn’t trust him. Ianto knew this, but he still showed up for work, keeping them in coffee, keeping them organized and doing a million other things little things that made their lives run more smoothly and yet, they still couldn’t say a simple thank you or even bother to untie him and help him off the floor.

 

Jack had hoped that this would have been the mission for them to get to know Ianto better, to find out what made the Welshman tick, to help make Ianto feel like a member of the team. It was something Jack knew he should have done a lot sooner, but the fear of the way the Welshman made him feel had Jack keeping him at arm’s length. It was an example that the rest of the team followed.

 

Deep down, Jack had to admit, that maybe, just maybe, Jack had hoped that this mission would have ended with Ianto in his bed. He missed flirting with Ianto, but more than that, he missed talking to Ianto, missed their long conversations over a whisky at the end of the day. Hell, he just plain missed Ianto. Ever since the Cyberwoman incident- Jack refused to call that _thing_ Lisa- Ianto had been polite and professional, but that was it. Gone were the flirty looks and the teasing smiles, and gone were the nights when Ianto stayed late and just kept Jack company. Jack never realized how lonely he was until he didn’t have Ianto around anymore. He wanted his Ianto back and somehow, some way, he would win back Ianto into his life.

 

“Oi! Are we going or what?” Owen snapped at them, breaking Jack out of his thoughts. Owen wanted to get as far as away from this gruesome place as soon as possible.

 

“We’re coming.” Jack called back before glancing at Ianto. “Can you make it to the SUV?” he asked Ianto softly, caressing him with his eyes.

 

“I think so, with your help.” Ianto hated to show weakness, but he seriously doubted that he would be able to make it to the SUV without help.

 

Jack wrapped his arm around Ianto’s waist and helped him to his feet. He waited while Ianto steadied himself, and then together they walked slowly over to the SUV.

 

Owen took one look at Ianto and the difficulty he had simply putting one foot in front of the other, and then at the protective look in Jack’s eyes and declared, “Tea-Boy is in the front with Jack. I’ll keep an eye on the girls. But first I am gonna give Tea-Boy a nice shot for pain.” Owen prepped a syringe while he waited for the men to reach the vehicle.

 

Ianto really didn’t care where he sat as long as he got to sit down and fast. His legs had turned into a curious combination of lead and jelly, and it became more and more difficult to move. Jack noticed that Ianto was at the point of collapse and he quickly got Ianto into the passenger seat.

 

A grateful yet pained moan escaped Ianto’s lips as his battered body sank into the seat. _‘I just hope my dad’s keep calm,’_ Ianto prayed; he did not want the team to face the wrath of Sirius or Moony, or any of his other overly-protective guardians. He was so lost in his thoughts that he never felt Owen poke him with a needle and give him a nice shot of morphine.

 

*****


	2. Chapter 2

A growl escaped Sirius’ lips as he continued to pace the living room floor of Ianto’s house. “If he is hurt, I swear that team will be held responsible and they will pay, oh, yes, they will pay.” The dark-haired man promised.

Remus was usually the one who would calm his mate down, but tonight, he was barely able to keep his own rage in check. It was too close to the full moon, which meant that Moony was closer to the surface than normal, and knowing his cub had been hurt only made the situation worse.

Emily’s anxious glance darted between the two men; she was afraid that they might do something drastic.

“That’s it! I’m going to find my son!” Sirius declared as he marched over to the door, grabbing his coat on the way.

Remus jumped to his feet. “I’m coming too.” He needed to see with his own eyes that his son was okay.

Emily rolled her eyes, scarily similar to Ianto, and grabbed her coat. “Oi! You two idiots aren’t going anywhere without me; someone has to keep a cool head.”

Emily Jones may have stood only a little over five feet, but she was a force to be reckoned with. And really, she was right; given how murderously her men were feeling, it was a smart idea to have someone with a cool head along with them.

“Fine, whatever, can we go now?” Sirius was not pleased at being kept from his son.

Emily merely raised an eyebrow and brushed past Sirius to join Remus at the door. “I do believe that the one we are waiting for is you.”

Sirius glared at his old friends as he huffed past the two of them, grabbing a firm hold of Remus’ hand and dragging his mate behind him.

Emily just smiled; over the years, she’d gotten used to dealing with Sirius and his mercurial emotions. “Don’t you dare go near that car, Sirius! I’m driving; we want to end up there in one piece.” Emily called out as she shut Ianto’s door behind her.

*****

Despite the morphine injection, the ride back to the Hub was pure torture for Ianto; ever bump, turn and stop was amplified by his battered body. In truth, he wished that he would just pass out; Owen’s pain medicine didn’t really do anything for him, not with his magic humming throughout his body. He honestly couldn’t remember a time when his body had endured such agonizing pain. Ianto craved the darkness; he was pretty sure that his ribs were broken. He’d suffered broken ribs before and he knew what a damn pain in the butt they could be.

A gentle hand on his knee and a soft voice calling his name broke through Ianto’s pain-filled and slightly drugged mind, and he forced a fake smile on his lips as he faced Jack. “Yes, Sir?” he questioned quietly and was taken aback by the sincere worry in Jack’s beautiful blue eyes. He loved looking into Jack’s eyes, they were so pretty.

“Ianto, are you sure you’re all right?” Jack asked with concern dripping off his every word.

“I’m fine, Jack.” Ianto slurred out, his pain was making it hard to concentrate as he blinked back the black spots swimming in front of his eyes.

Jack’s grip on the SUV wheel tightened with fear as he ordered, “Stay with me, Ianto, do you hear me?”

Ianto smiled dopily at him. “You have such pretty eyes.” The pain medicine was clearly loosening his tongue. “And you’re so very handsome.” He giggled and whispered loudly, “But don’t tell anybody else, okay?”

Jack felt hope fill him at Ianto’s admittance. “Really?” He wanted not only to keep Ianto conscious, but he was curious as to how Ianto really felt about him. “What else do you like about me?” Jack knew it was an under-handed tactic, taking advantage of Ianto’s inebriated state, but when else was he going to have this chance.

Ianto bobbed his head up and down slightly. “You’re one of the bravest men I have ever met, Jack; you make the hard decisions so we don’t have to. You protect us even when we don’t see it, yet you hide yourself away from everyone. You keep us all at arm’s length, like you’re protecting yourself from getting hurt. You’re afraid to let anyone of us in.” Ianto told him matter-of-factly.

Jack was taken aback by how well Ianto had already figured him out. He couldn’t deny anything, everything Ianto said was true. He had discovered a long time ago how much it hurt to let someone in just to lose them. He had learned to shield his heart from that kind of hurt. But somehow, Ianto had weaseled his way past his defences and buried himself into his heart. Jack honestly couldn’t picture his life anymore without Ianto in it. No, that wasn’t true; for one brief moment when Ianto lay dead in the Hub, Jack’s world had suddenly felt colder. He shivered at the memory.

In the backseat, the other three members of the team listened, and they were surprised by the way Ianto saw Jack. Chagrined, they realised that the young Welshman was right. The way they had all treated Jack after he gave Jasmine to the fairies had been wrong. They hadn’t bothered to see it from his point of view, one girl who wanted to go versus the survival of the whole world. No, they had treated Jack like the monster Ianto had once accused him of being. They felt ashamed.

Gwen shifted slightly in her seat as jealousy churned in her belly. Ianto could accept Jack, all of him, just the way he was, while she couldn’t, not when it ruined the knight-in-shining-amour-imagine she held of Jack. But she wasn’t blind; like to or not, while Jack may have flirted with her, it was Ianto he wanted. She had never seen Jack look at her the way he looked at Ianto; even now, the man split his time between looking at the road and gazing at Ianto. It hurt to know that she would never have a true shot with Jack, but she would not deny either man a chance at true happiness, no matter how hard it might be to accept.

‘Besides, there is another knight, only his armour is a bit dented.’ Gwen glanced shyly at Owen; it scared her how he made her feel. It was so different from Rhys’ pure love, and from Jack’s role as her dashing hero, that she could not and would not put a name to it. All she knew was that she should stop this thing with Owen before it got out of hand, but she had neither the strength nor the willpower to do so.

Owen could feel Gwen’s dark gaze on him and it took all his willpower not to react; he knew he was treading on very thin ground with Gwen. With a guilty start, he realised that he was dangerously close to feeling something he hadn’t felt since Katie and that frightened him.

Toshiko huddled against the door, wrapped in her own world of hurt, loss and betrayal. It hurt watching Jack and Ianto, and now Owen and Gwen. Tosh was happy for Ianto and Jack after watching them for so long; they were finally finding their way to one another, but now, knowing about Owen and Gwen’s ‘thing’ broke her heart. She wasn’t stupid; she knew that Owen would never see her as anything more than boring old Tosh, the tech geek, a teammate, and sometime friend. ‘I just want someone to love me! Is that so much to ask for?’ Tosh asked silently as she fought back the tears that threatened to fall.

The rest of the ride to the Hub was in silence as all they were lost in their own thoughts.

*****

As Jack pulled into the underground parking he was surprised and on alert at the sight of the three waiting people. Parking the car, he turned to Owen. “Stay here, keep the others safe,” he ordered. This time he would protect his team, and more importantly, he would protect Ianto.

“Understood, boss,” Owen agreed and kept sharp eyes on the two men and one woman as Jack slowly made his way over to them.

As Jack grew closer, he noticed the two men grow tenser and before he knew what was happening, the dark-haired male struck. Jack never saw the punch coming until it landed on his jaw.

“Oww! What the hell was that for?” Jack snarled as he held his stinging jaw.

“That was for putting my son in danger.” Sirius snarled back, his fist clenching with the need to punch the handsome man again and again until his rage dissipated.

No one heard the SUV door open until a worried and upset cry of “Dad!” pierced the air.

The moment Jack’s blue eyes landed on Ianto’s stumbling form, he forgot all about his jaw, and the three strangers, and rushed to support Ianto.

Ianto was grateful that Jack’s strong arms encircled his waist just as the last of his strength faded and he felt his knees buckle. “Thank you, Sir,” he managed to get out, his words slurred and his eyes heavy.

 

“Ianto, are you okay?” Sirius asked, who had rushed to his son’s side the same moment that Jack had, and he ran a hand through Ianto’s hair. Remus and Emily stopping back a few feet back as not to crowd Ianto.

Ianto managed to flash his dad a pain-filled and slightly dopey smile. “I’m okay, Dad.”

As both Jack and his dad gave him the same disbelieving look, Ianto knew that both men could see past his very phoney lie. “You’re not buying that, are you?” He questioned them.

“Nope.” Jack and Sirius glared at one another as they both answered at the same time and Ianto couldn’t help but laugh which he immediately regretted as his ribs screamed in pain.

Jack felt Ianto tense in his arms and knew that his laugh more than likely jarred Ianto’s tender ribs. He shot a glare at Sirius. “Listen, I don’t care who you are, but you’re standing in the way of getting Ianto treated, so move. Now!” Jack ordered in his sternest Captain’s tone.

Sirius’ dark eyes narrowed as his lips curled into a snarl. “I am Ianto’s father, and if anyone is going to look after Ianto, it is going to be us.” Sirius was tired of these people breaking his son. “Where were you after Lisa?” He demanded roughly. “You abandoned him for over a month, not even bothering to check on him once!” Sirius would never forget the image of his broken son; not even the war had damaged him that badly. Losing Lisa had destroyed a part of Ianto that Sirius feared his son would never be able to heal.

Jack had to look away from Sirius’ accusing gaze as shame filled him. He had let his anger towards Ianto get the better of him and instead of going to visit the young man and talk to him, he stayed away. He didn’t take the time to care for or about Ianto; he’d been too busy nursing his wounded pride. Even now, after everything that had happened, they still managed to treat Ianto like he was nothing, letting him slip back into the shadows. ‘You’re the biggest monster of them all.’ Ianto’s words stabbed at Jack’s heart, and at that moment, he truly felt like the fiend Ianto accused him of being. ‘How did I let things get so bad?’ 

“I will admit I made a mistake, but I am not going to abandon Ianto, not this time, and never again.” Jack vowed, daring Sirius to challenge him.

“Oi, enough of this pissing contest! Ianto is injured and we need to focus on him. Now either help me or get the hell out of my way.” Emily Jones was not happy as she made her way over to the two alpha males, concern for her son in every way but blood lacing her every movement.

Sirius blanched at the tone in Emily’s voice, and at the hard look in Remus’ amber eyes. He knew he was in trouble for starting a pissing contest, as Emily had called it, with Jack Harkness, but something about the man rubbed him the wrong way. It didn’t help him feel any more charitable when he saw the way the older man was looking at his only son, or how his son was looking at Jack in return.

Grumbling under his breath, Sirius looked at Jack, “Could you give me a hand in getting Yan into our car?” He forced politeness into his voice.

Jack glared at the other man, not quite sure if he should trust his Ianto with these strangers, when a gentle hand on his still-sore jaw had him turning his head; his gaze softened as he met Ianto’s tender gaze. “I’ll be okay, Jack; my parents will take good care of me and I will see you in a few days.” He needed the older man to trust him.

Jack fondly stroked Ianto’s cheek with his free hand. “Take care of yourself, Ianto, and you better believe that I will be stopping by to check up on you in the coming days.” There was no way Jack was going to stay away, not when Ianto was so badly hurt; in truth, he didn’t trust these people to look after his Ianto.

The goofy grin mixed with longing and happiness that Ianto gave him sent Jack’s heart soaring. “I’d like that,” Ianto admitted softly.

Remus, thanks to his enhanced werewolf senses, could smell the desire coming off of both men, but he could also smell the need to protect his son rolling off of Jack. ‘Hmm, this is very interesting; Jack smells like a man trying to protect his mate.’ To Moony, Jack did indeed smell like an alpha male guarding his injured mate.

‘Sirius is not going to like this.’ Remus predicted, and he knew that history would prove him right; his mate did have a habit of not liking any of Ianto’s suitors. Except for Harry; when Sirius found out that Harry had a crush on their son, his mate went all out matchmaker on the two of them. Sadly, despite all of Sirius’ hard work, the two young wizards never moved beyond friendship.

No, Remus figured, this was going to be much more like the Draco time. When Sirius got wind of the Malfoy heir’s crush on Ianto, Sirius’ devious side had come out. If the stories he’d heard from Harry were indeed correct, then Draco still had a few nightmares about what Sirius had put him through.

‘This time, though,’ Remus watched the way Jack tenderly brushed Ianto’s hair back from his forehead. ‘Something tells me Jack Harkness won’t be so easily dissuaded.’

“Oh, my God! What happen to him?” Emily was now kneeling beside Jack and Ianto, and her frantically worried voice had Remus shifting his gaze to his son. His hackles rose and a very dangerous growl escaped his lips as he finally got a true look at his cub’s injuries.

“Cannibals,” Jack informed them curtly.

“I’ll rip them to shreds for hurting my son! Where are they?” Remus snarled, barely able to contain his rage. The wolf in him cried out for sweet, bloody revenge.

“Dad, please do not go Moony on them.” Ianto whispered in a pain-filled voice.

It took all of Remus’ willpower to nod to his son’s plea and he forced Moony back into submission; he would not hunt them down, not today at least.

Sirius looked at Jack with a steel-filled gaze. “They will be dealt with, right.” He didn’t ask the question, he demanded.

A cold, cruel smile came over Jack’s face. “Oh, they will be. No one gets away with hurting my team,” and he looked down at Ianto, lying in his arms. “But more importantly, no one gets away with hurting Ianto.”

Suddenly, and against his will, Sirius was beginning to like Jack just a little bit, a very tiny bit. Remus, ever sensitive to his mate’s emotional scent, noticed the minute change in attitude. ‘There might be hope for the immortal yet,’ he thought with an approving smile.

Emily stroked her adopted son’s hair fondly before placing a gentle kiss on his forehead. “Don’t worry, my little Yan; I am going to take good care of you.” She promised.

The look Ianto gave her broke her heart; his blue eyes were filled with pain as he asked quietly, “You promise?”

“I promise, and I also promise that no harm will come to your Jack due to your fathers,” Emily vowed. She could sense Ianto’s silent worry over the man whom he both longed for and cared deeply about, and she wished them every chance at happiness. She knew that, despite the deep hurt they had already put each other through, it was clear that there was the potential for a truly great and lasting love between them.

At his mother’s vow, Ianto felt relief fill him. He was finally starting to see what Jack was beginning to mean to him, and he could only hope that someday he would come to mean just as much to Jack.

Emily’s hazel-green eyes met Jack’s crystal clear blue ones, the message and warning was clear: ‘I will keep my promise, but if you hurt my son in any way, all bets are off and it will not be Sirius or Remus that will rip you apart. It will be me.’ 

Jack nodded; he had a feeling that Emily was a momma bear that would kill to keep her cub safe.

Sirius shivered and actually felt a little worried for Jack; he had been on the receiving end of Emily’s wrath and it is not something he would like to experience again.

By now the rest of the team had let their curiosity get the better of them and they had moved out of the SUV. Despite injury and fatigue, the trio immediately assumed a defensive stance as they surveyed the scene before them. It was Tosh who made the first move; she was worried about the man who risked his life for her despite how she treated him. “Is Ianto going to be alright?” She asked softly.

Remus smiled gently at the young woman; the waves of concern pouring off her made Moony purr with happiness. ‘This one must be Tosh, the one that reminds Ianto of Hermione.’ Remus thought, “Ianto will be fine, we will make sure of that.” The wolf promised Tosh.

Relief filled Tosh. “Please take care of him, Ianto means a lot to us, even if we do have a crummy way of letting him know.” She admitted her, and the others, failings in their treatment of Ianto.

Gwen and Owen shifted and looked at their feet; they were ashamed of their own behaviour towards the young man they saw as nothing more than a simple Tea-Boy. Even after Lisa, when how they treated Ianto was plainly shoved in their faces, they still happily let Ianto fade back into the background.

Pride filled Jack at Tosh’s admittance of their failing of Ianto; he just hope that they hadn’t burnt all their bridges with the young man. ‘Please, Ianto, give us another chance to make up for our failings,’ he thought fervently. ‘Let us show you how much we need you.’

“Stop thinking, Jack, you think too loud.” Ianto mumbled from where he was still slumped against Jack’s warm body. Oh, how he longed to snuggle deeper into Jack’s arms; in his drug, pain and magic-induced state that sounded like a brilliant idea and so he did just that. “Mmm, you’re so warm.” Ianto purred somewhat sleepily against Jack’ strong chest as he nuzzled closer to the warmth, comfort and safety the immortal captain offered.

Sirius bristled as Ianto, to Sirius’ horror, snuggled deeper into Jack’s arms and nestled against the other man’s chest; the look on the young man’s face made it clear to all that he was right where he belonged.

Remus and Emily both had amused looks on their faces; they were not blind to Ianto’s very strong feelings for his boss, but they hadn’t let Sirius in on that little detail. Now it would seem that the cat was out of the bag.

‘Ianto is in my arms and he’s cuddling me.’ Inside, Jack was jumping for joy and he vowed that it was not going to be the only time he had Ianto in his arms. ‘Oh, yes, Ianto Jones, your heart will be mine,’ Jack vowed.

“I’ll take my son now, thank you very much.” Sirius barked out brusquely; he did not trust Jack around his only child.

Something inside of Jack snapped, and the primeval part of himself that he kept well under control surged forward as he tightened his grip on the man in his arms. “Mine, my mate,” he snarled at them shocking them all, even himself.

Emily, having seen this type of possessive behaviour with Remus, calmly spoke to Jack, “Yes, Ianto is yours, but he’s hurt,” She shot Sirius a look that clearly said, ‘you keep quiet,’ before turning her gaze back to the growling Jack. “We need to look after him, Jack; will you let us take care of him of you?”

With his senses in overdrive, Jack could only growl and tighten his grip on Ianto’s limp body until Ianto let out a little moan, and it was that sad, weak sound that managed to break through the red haze that blinded him. The immortal slowly regained his senses and relaxed his arms with a soft whisper, “Sorry, Yan.” 

It was Remus who finally moved decisively towards Jack; as another alpha, he and Jack had the same level of respect for one another. “Let me take him, Jack. He will be safe and cared for; he is my cub.” Remus made claim to his son.

Another growl, albeit softer and less threatening, escaped Jack’s lips, but he did release Ianto into Remus’ waiting arms. “Thank you,” Remus whispered, gently taking Ianto into his arms.

Reluctantly, and with a strange, empty feeling, Jack watched Ianto go, his heart and world already growing colder without the young man in his arms.

Sirius was still bristling as Emily grasped his arm and dragged him away with her.

*****

A series of pops filled Ianto’s empty flat. “Where in the world are they?” Draco Malfoy snarled as he took in the empty room.

Harry rolled his eyes at his husband’s actions. “Ianto works for Muggles; he’ll have to do things the Muggle way, which means no magic.” He pointed this fact out to his husband patiently.

Draco crossed his arms and pouted. “Then Ianto should return to the wizarding world with us, where he belongs; at least we will take proper care of him.”

Harry and Neville shared a look and a long-suffering sigh; this wasn’t the first and definitely not the last time Draco would say that. Draco hadn’t been at all happy when Ianto announced he planned on living in the Muggle world after the war. There was some part of Harry and Neville that couldn’t help but think Draco might have been right. With all the pain and suffering Ianto had gone through since he left the wizard’s realm, maybe Ianto would be better off if he returned to the wizarding world with them. Harry was entertaining the idea of talking to Ianto about just that when soft words penetrated his brain.

“Ianto’s place is here alongside the undying time traveller. Their love is written in the stars and in time.” Luna’s dreamy voice spoke up, interrupting his train of thought.

The three men stared at her. “And just what is that supposed to mean?” Draco demanded to know.

Luna merely gave him a dreamy smile in response, retreating back into her own little world.

Draco threw up his arms in exasperation, he hated it when Luna got that look on her face and gave her cryptic answers.

*****

“Ianto will be having visitors.” Emily predicted as she tended to Ianto’s wounds as best she could in a moving car, one that thankfully Remus was driving. Sirius was still so angry that he was practically vibrating.

“The usual suspects, I take it?” Remus questioned, glancing back at Emily through the mirror.

At Emily’s nod, Sirius twisted around in the front seat to look at her and crossed his arms. “Good. Then maybe they can talk some sense into Ianto about returning to the wizarding world with us.” He growled aloud, thinking, ‘And far away from Captain Jack Harkness.’ 

“I doubt it. Despite everything, Ianto will not leave the Muggle world or this Torchwood team.” Emily looked down at her adopted son, love and pride in her eyes. “But more importantly, he will not leave Jack.” Her words caused Sirius’ growl to grow deeper.

“I’m afraid, Sirius, that you might not have a choice; there is a connection between Ianto and Captain Jack Harkness that cannot be denied, and it’s one that I believe is only beginning.” Remus told his husband.

That truly didn’t sit well with Sirius, but he unwillingly admitted that it was Ianto’s choice to make. ‘For now at least,’ he told himself darkly.

As his parents talked above him, Ianto found himself drifting into his memories, and through his drug-filled haze, a tiny smile twitching the corners of his mouth.

Emily Jones smiled proudly at the boy she called son, a look echoed by Remus as they led Ianto to platform 11 ½. It was a joyous moment that also carried a weight of sadness; it should have been Remus and Sirius taking Ianto to the train station, and Ianto should have been going as Ianto Black-Lupin, not as Ianto Jones. 

“Now, Ianto, are you sure you have everything?” Emily asked as she straightened out Ianto’s shirt and brushed back his hair for the tenth time.

As Ianto rolled his eyes, Remus was reminded of how much Ianto reminded him of Sirius with that one simple action.

“Yes, Mum, I’m sure I have everything.” Ianto politely informed his mother, again.

Remus chuckled as he ruffled Ianto’s hair, as he did every time Emily tidied it up. “Don’t mind your mother, son; she’s always been like this, even when we were in school together.” 

A pout crossed Emily’s lips. “I am not that bad.” 

Father and son chimed together, “Yes, you are!” 

Emily let out a little huff as she levelled a glare at Remus. “You better watch it, Mister Lupin, or I will happy fill Ianto in on some of your less-than-stellar school moments.” 

“Dad, Mum, I will be fine.” Ianto reassured his parents. “I’ll write to you both as much as I can.” 

Emily gave a little sob and to Ianto’s embarrassment, she pulled him into a hug and peppered his face with kisses. “Oh, our little boy is all grown up. I’m going to miss you so much.” She cried tearfully. 

Remus smiled as he watched mother and son, watching them together made his heart soar and break at the same time. He would always be grateful that Emily helped to raise their son, but he longed for and wished with all his heart that Sirius had been the one to raise their son with him.

Emily finally released Ianto and Remus moved to hug his son. “Take care, my son, and try not to get into too much trouble.” 

Ianto gave him a smile that was pure Sirius. “I can’t promise anything.” There was no mistaking the mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

“I know you’ll do us proud, Ianto.” Emily told Ianto as she reached out to fix his hair one last time, only to stop herself with a rueful smile. “Say hello to Severus for me.”

Ianto gave his mum a smile. “Yes, Mum.” He knew what good friends they were.

They reached the door to Ianto’s car, and Emily wiped her eyes as Ianto stepped onto the train. Remus rested a comforting hand on Emily’s shoulder as they watched Ianto wave good-bye to his parents from his spot by the window. “We’ve raised a good son, Emily. He’ll be fine.” Remus comforted his best friend, willing himself to believe his own words.

*****

”Ianto!” That was the only warning Ianto had before he found himself squashed between two of his closest friends.

“Hello, Fred, George,” Ianto greeted the twins and smiled at their pout. They had never been able to fool him, no matter how hard they tried.

“How do you always know which one of us is which?” George, the one on the right, snarked.

Ianto gave them a smug smile. “I know everything.” 

Fred pouted for a moment longer before he smiled at Ianto. “So, how did Emily take your leaving? We should have been there to offer our support.” At one time or another, each twin had a schoolboy’s crush on Emily Jones.

Eyes narrowed at his friend, Ianto growled, “Stay away from my mother,” and his eyes flashed amber as his wolf blood came into play.

Fred raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay! I kid!” He knew better than to anger the wolf. “So want to hear our prank?” He asked, grinning playfully.

A very rarely seen mischievous smile completely took over Ianto’s face. “Of course I do!” 

*****

Ianto was in absolute awe as the sight of Hogwarts appeared before his very eyes;, his parent’s stories hadn’t done the place justice. 

Ianto felt nervous as he waited for his own sorting. Fred and George had already been sorted into Gryffindor, and it worried him as to which house he would be placed. His past had been carefully kept from everyone at Hogwarts, student and teacher alike. To them, he was just a half-blood child, a mud-blood to a snotty few purists, and not the heir to the Black fortune. 

“Ianto Jones.” Professor McGonagall called his name and he took a deep breath and moved towards the Sorting Hat.

When the wise old hat was settled on his head, Ianto heard a strange voice in his head, rather than in his ears. ‘Welcome, Ianto Jones, or would you rather I called you Ianto Black-Lupin?’ the Sorting Hat greeted him.

Ianto gulped, fear stabbing into his belly. ‘Ianto Jones, please, no one but Professor Dumbledore and my parents know the truth of my parentage.’ Ianto explained to him silently. 

‘Very well, Mister Jones, as you wish. Now, let us see where you belong.” Ianto waited anxiously. “Loyal, cunning, brave and smart; you have them all.” The Hat hummed to itself. “This is curious, to all the houses you fit, but I see you would do best in one, for the role you are to play, there can only be one house for you.’ 

Ianto held his breath, hoping and praying that it wouldn’t be Slytherin.

“Ravenclaw!” the Sorting Hat declared loudly, and the dining room burst into cheers.

‘Well, mum is going to be happy,’ Ianto thought with a small grin as he hopped off the stool and headed towards his new home for the next seven years. He was nearly knocked off his feet by its residents when he arrived at his house’s table, so enthusiastic was their welcome.

*****

Upon reaching Ianto’s flat, Sirius gently lifted his son into his arms and headed inside, leaving Remus and Emily to chase after him. Emily somehow managed to slip ahead of Sirius and open the door, and they were immediately greeted by cries of, “What happened?”,” Is Ianto alright?”, and Sirius’ personal favourite, “Who do we get to hurt?”

Remus quickly took charge. “Sirius, I think Ianto would be much more comfortable in his bed. Emily, go with him, you’re the only one we trust to look after our son. As for the rest of you, calm down and I’ll fill you all in.” Remus’ alpha tone left no room for argument.

Emily followed behind Sirius and stood in the doorway of Ianto’s bedroom as she watched Sirius tenderly care for his son. It broke her heart to know that Sirius had been robbed of all the chances to do so when Ianto had been a boy.

Sirius tenderly stroked Ianto’s forehead, “I’m sorry I wasn’t here while you were growing up, but I’m here now and I will do everything in my power to keep you safe and to make your dreams come true. But really, does it have to be Harkness that makes you smile like you haven’t in forever?”

Emily fought back tears and a smile. ‘Captain Jack Harkness, you have a lot of work before you if you wish to gain Ianto’s heart. I wish you luck; anyone Ianto can love this much must be special.’ She promised herself that she would watch closely to see if Jack could survive what Sirius, the twins and Draco would put him through to make sure he was worthy of Ianto’s love.

TBC....


	3. Chapter 3

Jack was on edge as he paced the Hub floor; every inch of him was screaming at him to seek out Ianto and take care of his mate. Ianto belonged with him, not somewhere Jack couldn’t see him, touch him, and love him.

 

‘Ianto is my mate, mine.’ Jack snarled to himself; he had so long denied it to himself, but Ianto was his mate. He had known it the very moment he first met Ianto in the park, and that was the biggest reason why he had tried so hard to keep his distance from Ianto. Add the fact that Jack was immortal and his mate, nay, his soul mate, was mortal, and that was one more reason why he kept Ianto at a distance.

 

Jack knew in the very depths of his soul that when he lost Ianto, it would be a pain from which he would never recover. Yet, despite his best efforts, he had already almost lost Ianto twice, and as far as he was concerned, that was two times too many. If he was destined to lose Ianto, then he at least wanted the memories of their time together to warm the cold nights of his lonely future.

 

That was why he was so angry and why he felt so betrayed over the whole deal with the Cyberwoman. To see his mate risk everything on behalf of another was unbearable; and Jack had to admit that seeing the love Ianto held for Lisa had broken something inside of Jack. Never in his long life had anyone ever loved him the way Ianto had loved Lisa, and Jack longed for the day when he would be the one Ianto loved like that. ‘Oh, and that day will come,’ Jack swore to the Universe, ‘because no matter what, Ianto is mine, and I will claim my mate.’

 

But first he needed to woo Ianto, to prove to the young man that he truly wanted, needed, and desired him, and then he had to prove to Ianto’s family that he was serious about the young man, and oh, was he ever serious.

 

Jack sat down at the nearest desk, grabbed a pen and paper, and began making plans to make his future with Ianto happen.

 

“First thing, I must tone down the flirting with everyone else and up the flirting with my Ianto.” That statement brought a broad grin to Jack’s handsome face, and he felt a sweet tingle in his belly as he anticipated Ianto’s reaction. “Second, I must make Ianto know how much I appreciate him. Hey! Maybe I’ll make him coffee, and I should take flowers when I go visit him.” Jack made himself promise; “come hell or high water or alien invasion, I will be visiting my Ianto tomorrow and not in a few days.” The idea of being away from his injured mate any longer that that was far too unbearable; he needed to care for Ianto, him and him alone.

 

Satisfied that he’d had a good start on his plan to win Ianto’s heart, Jack started powering down the various workstations and computers, preparing to send the Hub into sleep mode. After that, he decided, he would go down into his lonely little bed and enjoy sweet dreams about the nights he and Ianto had shared that bed.

 

He sent Tosh’s Rift alert program to his wrist strap and headed down into the vaults. He still had work to do, some prisoners to ‘visit’. A dangerous glint entered Jack’s eyes; ‘Oh, yes; you will pay dearly for daring to harm my Ianto.’

 

*****

Remus watched as Sirius paced the floor; Harry watched Draco copy Sirius’ movements. Neville, on the other hand, was far more concerned about whatever Fred and George were clearly plotting.

 

Luna, curled up in the big chair by the fireplace, was watching them all with a knowing smile on her face. ‘Everything is falling into place as our destinies intertwine and it all begins when the immortal one, the man born of time itself, claims the son of wolf and dog.’ Unheard by anyone, she began to hum an odd combination of a wedding tune and a lullaby.

 

The moment Emily entered the room she was pounced on by a very worried Sirius and Draco. The two men began firing a barrage of questions and demands at her, making her head spin with the onslaught.

 

“Enough! Both of you sit down and give me a moment to speak!” It wasn’t often that Emily lost her cool and raised her voice, but when she did, people were quick to listen and act.

 

Harry sniggered at how quickly Draco found a seat, and he quickly covered it with a cough as his husband shot him a dark look.

 

Remus chuckled softly as Sirius, looking like a kicked puppy, sulked over to the loveseat where Remus was waiting for him.

 

Once everyone was seated, Emily began her report on Ianto. “Fractured ribs, a concussion, bruised lung and wrist, and deep cuts that would have needed stitches if he had been treated by a Muggle doctor,” she ticked off the list. “These injuries I can take care of and will heal. What I am worried about is how this is going to affect him.” Emily took a deep breath as she prepared to tell them news that would no doubt send them all into a murderous rage.

 

“The cannibals were tenderizing him, and one even held a cleaver to his throat.” Emily held a finger that trembled slightly up to her neck. “They actually bit out chunks of his flesh to get a taste of him.” She couldn’t stop the shudder that wracked her body as she spoke those last words. Bile rose in her throat and she swallowed convulsively.

 

“I’ll kill them!” Remus roared as he shot to his feet. He had one goal in mind, to kill those who dared to harm, no, who dared to try and eat his son.

 

Sirius stumbled up after him, reaching out frantically to catch his mate. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Neville and Harry doing the same thing. Somehow between the three of them, the men managed to grab a hold of Remus and wrestle the raging wolf back onto the couch. By the time they were sure he was through struggling, all three were completely out of breath.

 

Sirius cupped his mate’s face and kissed him deeply. “Remus, calm down! Our son, our cub, is safe. And as much as I hate to say it, let Jack Harkness deal with them. If you’re right, and Ianto really is Jack’s mate, then he will make them pay.” Sirius reasoned with the raging werewolf.

 

Remus trembled as he fought to keep both his and Moony’s rage under control. “I need to see my cub; please, Sirius, I need to know he’s all right.” By the gravely tone in Remus’ voice, it was clear to everyone how hard he was struggling to control himself, to not to seek out those who hurt his son.

 

Sirius nodded against Remus’ shoulder before standing up and taking his husband’s hand in his; he winced at how tightly the man squeezed his hand as he led him to their son’s room. The moment they opened the door, Ianto’s soft whimpers reached their ears and their hearts broke; they knew that the nightmares were just beginning. Wasting no time, Remus and Sirius kicked off their shoes and crawled up on to the bed, one on each side of Ianto, and they engulfed him in their arms and their love.

 

As Sirius curled his arms around his son’s shaking form, he reached for and found Remus’ hand, twining their fingers together. Even in sleep, Ianto clung to his fathers, taking in their familiar scent, letting it sooth him.

 

Not since he was a child, plagued by nightmares of what his Tad was suffering at the hands of the Dementors, had Ianto found himself sleeping in the protective embrace of his two dads.

 

Remus and Sirius shared a worried look over Ianto’s head, sharing the same thought; their son had suffered so much in his young life, and they feared that one day it would finally break him. “Please don’t let today be that day,” Remus whispered.

 

“Jack.” It was the barest of whimpers, but still Sirius and Remus managed to hear Ianto’s whisper.

 

Sirius eyes narrowed; ‘There seems to be no escaping the fact that our son has feelings for Jack.’ A devious smile over took Sirius’ face as he began plotting. ‘Well then, Captain, let’s see just how much you care for him.’ 

 

The look did not go unnoticed by Remus’ sharp eyes, but he said nothing. He too was interested in how Jack would win the heart of his young mate.

 

*****

The next morning

 

Once word got out that Ianto had been hurt, his flat suddenly became very small and very crowded. So many people kept popping in to make sure Ianto was okay, and while it touched Ianto deeply, there was only one person he desperately wished he could see, and that was Jack.

 

But Ianto was no dreamer; he knew that Jack had his eye set firmly on the fascinating new Gwen Cooper, not the useless Tea-Boy, Ianto Jones, and that knowledge hurt more than losing Lisa.

 

If he didn’t know for a fact that ribs would ache, and that his dads would run into his bedroom filled with fear and worry, Ianto would have curled up into a small ball and cried his eyes out. He settled for lying on his back and letting quiet tears leak from the corners of his eyes and wet the pillow.

 

*****

‘It’s times like this that I truly love Molly Weasley,’ Emily Jones admitted to herself as she watched the fiery red-head keep everybody in line, and more importantly, keep Sirius and Draco from sneaking off and getting revenge on those who hurt Ianto. Currently Emily, along with Molly, Luna, Neville and Hermione, was making breakfast for the large group.

 

Hermione looked at the kitchen table, groaning under the weight of all the food, and asked with a smile, “Do you think we made enough?” She knew full well how much food the men could pack away without even trying.

 

Molly took a good look at the pile of food and in a concerned tone, answered, “I certainly hope so.” A small frown furrowed her brow as she looked again at the dishes they had prepared, and then with a shrug, decided it would have to do. “So, Neville, will Severus be joining us this morning?” She questioned the sweet young man, happy to see that he was finally getting a happy ending. In her opinion, Neville had been very good for the cranky potions master; the changes in Severus were rather amazing. 

 

“He would, but he is the middle of making an important potion and can’t leave it alone.” Neville explained. “He says it’s at that ‘delicate’ stage, and is demanding his constant attention.”

 

Hermione opened her mouth, about to ask about what the potion was for, when they were interrupted by the doorbell.

 

Harry, along with Blaise and Charlie, had been put in charge of keeping an eye on Sirius, Draco, Remus and the twins so they didn’t try to hunt down those who hurt Ianto. It was a double-edged sword for the young men; they also burned with desire to hurt those who had made their friend suffer.

 

The ringing doorbell came as a surprise to all of them, considering no one in their group really used the door. As the one closest to the door, Harry climbed to his feet and answered it.

 

He was greeted to the sight of a very handsome man who carried a bouquet of flowers in his hand and a glint in his eyes much like the one Remus had for Sirius. Having heard the angry ranting of Sirius on more than one occasion, Harry was quite certain that this was the infamous Jack Harkness.

 

Emerald green eyes staring uncaringly at the man before him, Harry asked in as bored a tone as he could manage, “Can I help you?”

 

The man gave him a pearly white smile. “I’m looking for Ianto Jones,” he informed Harry.

 

Harry eyes narrowed as he took in the man. “Are you Captain Jack Harkness or Doctor Owen Harper?” He demanded; he wasn’t about to make Jack’s quest to win Ianto’s heart any easier for him.

 

The man’s stance changed; he widened his step slightly, clenched his jaw, and dropped the smile from his face as he responded brusquely, “Captain Jack Harkness. Now where is Ianto?” 

 

Before Harry had a chance to reply in kind, a dangerous growl echoed from behind him, and before either man could react, a blur shot past Harry and landed a punch on Jack’s jaw. Jack dropped to the hall floor like a rock, momentarily stunned by the ferocity of the unexpected attack.

 

Draco towered over Jack, his fists clenched on his hips, and glared down at the sprawled-out man. “You have a lot of nerve coming here, you bastard! Haven’t you hurt Ianto enough?” Only a fool could fail to see Ianto’s feelings for this man, and Draco Malfoy was nobody’s fool. He knew that this was the man who had clearly broken Ianto’s heart in the past, and as one of Ianto’s oldest friends, there was no way Draco was going to give him another chance.

 

A snarl escaped Jack’s lips as he climbed back to his feet and retrieved his flowers. He made a show of inspecting them for damage before looking up at his assailant; in truth, he was getting his own temper under control. “I might have deserved that, but let me make one thing very clear to you and anyone else who may be listening.” He raised his voice just a little for the benefit of the people he knew were behind the door, eavesdropping. “I care more for Ianto than you could ever begin to imagine. Now, are you going to move aside and let me see Ianto, or am I going to have to go through you to get to him?” Jack snarled as he got right up in Draco’s face; he would not be kept from his mate.

 

Draco raised an eyebrow as he chuckled. “Since you’re willing to admit you have hurt Ianto in the past, and you’re willing to fight for him, there might be hope for you yet, Captain. Provided you can get past Ianto’s fathers, you may really have a fighting chance.” With that bit of snarky encouragement, the former Prince of Slytherin stepped aside and let Jack pass him.

 

Harry had watched the two men closely, and he did not like the look in his husband’s eyes; past experience told him that it would only led to trouble.

 

Jack gladly passed the other man and strode confidently into Ianto’s flat, which, he was pleasantly surprised to find, was crowded with people, very few of whom he knew. He felt something warm and happy blossom in his heart when he saw that there were so many who cared for his mate.

 

“What are you doing here?” The clipped tone came from Sirius as Ianto’s father came to stand right in front of him.

 

Jack crossed his arms, taking care not to muss his flowers, and met Sirius’ dark gaze head-on. “I am here to see Ianto, just like I told you I would.” Jack reminded him of his promise.

 

“Well, maybe Ianto doesn’t want to see you.” Sirius’ words sent waves of pain and fear shooting through Jack’s heart. He couldn’t breathe; the thought of Ianto not wanting to see him was crippling.

 

“Jack, what are you doing here?” Those beautiful Welsh vowels that Jack so needed to hear were quietly spoken somewhere behind him.

 

Jack’s head whipped around to find Ianto so fast that everyone winced; a few even unconsciously stretched their necks or put up their hands to massage their muscles. Before anyone could blink, Jack was across the room, pulling a very surprised and shocked Ianto into a kiss that left everyone reeling from the passion that passed between the two men.

 

Ianto could only cling tightly to Jack as his Captain swept him into his arms and away in a kiss so full of passion, need, desperation and love that Ianto was sure if Jack wasn’t holding onto him, he would have collapsed into a blubbering mess on the floor.

 

Jack eagerly drank in the taste of his mate. Nobody he had ever kissed before had felt so right, it was like he was coming home. It was a feeling Jack knew he would never tire of, and he deepened the kiss, wanting to make sure that there was no doubt left in Ianto’s mind and heart as to who Jack truly wanted.

 

Sirius was twitching as he watched Jack kiss, no, it was clear that Jack was trying to devour his son, and he clenched and unclenched his fist. When a soft whimper of pure, lustful need tore from Ianto’s mouth, well, that finished him. His patience snapped like a dry twig, and with the sole intention of breaking up their kiss, Sirius lunged forward. He planned on ripping the Captain away from his son, only to find himself caught around the waist by Remus.

 

“Sirius, stop! He makes Ianto happy; he is the man who Ianto wants, and as his fathers, we need to accept that.” Remus whispered in his mate’s ear, pressing his husband’s back close to his chest.

 

Seeing his mate’s point and reluctantly accepting the wisdom behind the words, Sirius deflated and sulked in Remus’ arms. He did not like it, not one little bit, but he loved his son very much, and he knew that Remus was right. For some reason that Sirius simply couldn’t fathom, Jack did make Ianto happy, and in the end that was all that truly mattered to Sirius.

 

“Um, I hate to break up this tender moment, but I think we need to throw cold water on those two before we get a show.” Neville spoke up, a dark blush tainting his cheeks.

 

Blinking, both Remus and Sirius followed the young wizard’s gaze and once again Sirius saw red. Somehow, Jack had gotten Ianto pinned against the wall, their mouths still fused together, but it was the roaming hands that bothered Sirius the most. One of Jack’s hands had disappeared underneath Ianto’s shirt and from what Sirius could make out, Jack’s other hand was in Ianto’s pants.

 

Jack purred in complete and utter contentment as one of his hands drifted over Ianto’s toned stomach, and he enjoyed the feeling of those muscles quivering under his fingers. As his other hand slipped into Ianto’s pants and around the back to cup the arse that driven him nuts for so long, Jack was thrilled to find it was just as firm as he always imagined it would be.

 

Ianto’s hands were no better as he gave into the desire that burned throughout his body and he finally touched the man of his dreams. Never once losing the feeling of Jack’s mouth on his, Ianto somehow managed to tug Jack’s shirts free of his trousers. He slipped his hands underneath the fabric and let his fingers run across those abs that had driven him insane.

 

“All right, that is enough! As much as it pains me that I have to accept the fact that you, Captain, are going to be a part of my son’s life, it does not mean that I have to like it or that I want a show!” Sirius snapped out.

 

The idea that anyone besides him might see his Ianto naked was enough to break through the mating haze that engulfed Jack’s mind. As he broke their kiss, Jack couldn’t help but grin at Ianto’s disappointed mewl. “Soon, Ianto, my love, soon,” Jack whispered into Ianto’s ear.

 

Releasing Ianto just enough so they could move away from the wall, Jack looped an arm around Ianto’s waist, keeping the young man pressed against his body. Jack faced Sirius and Remus, confidence and respect reflected in his eyes. “I am here to announce my plans to woo your son and to win the heart of Ianto Jones, or should I say Ianto Black-Lupin.” Jack stated in a strong, clear voice.

 

There was a chorus of grasps from around the room as everyone blinked and wondered how the hell Jack knew Ianto’s real last name.

 

Jack gave them a blinding smile. “I know all about the wizarding world; I’ve spent some time there,” he informed them, taking great care not to appear at all condescending.

 

Ianto stared, speechless, at the man who wanted him heart and soul, and Jack took the opportunity to give that tempting mouth a quick kiss before stroking Ianto’s cheek with loving tenderness. “You, Ianto, amaze me. You fought in and survived a war that claimed so many young lives, only to end up surviving another massacre that claimed over eight hundred souls. You fought to save the woman you loved only for her to be gunned down by teammates who treated you worse than dirt. But even after all that, despite what we did to you, you still returned to work and forgave us.” Jack’s eyes misted over for a moment as he gazed at the man he loved. “You forgave me for hurting you.”

 

Jack poured out his heart to Ianto. “You are the most amazing and the strongest man, or wizard, that I have ever met.” His love-filled eyes swept over Ianto’s face, drinking in every detail, and he was struck by the almost overwhelming urge to sink down to one knee before his intended. “You deserve to be treated like a prince, and if you give me the chance, I will make sure every day of your life that you know how much I care for you, how much you mean to me, and how much I love you.”

 

Tears filled Ianto’s blue eyes and he gave Jack a watery smile. “I would like that so very much, Jack. But don’t doubt yourself, Captain Jack Harkness; you are amazing man yourself. You have suffered more than any of us can possibly imagine, and you still find the strength to carry on, to love again.” Ianto leaned forward and gently kissed Jack on the lips. “Yes, I loved Lisa, I will not deny that, but what I am feeling right now, and could feel for you forever, out-shines every star and sun in the sky.”

 

The aura of pure emotion that flowed between and around the two men was a palpable, living thing, and Luna smiled joyfully. All was going as planned according to her lady’s wishes, and her heart sang. ‘My Jack will soon no longer be alone. The one who is to be by his side forever is now with him.’

 

“I do believe breakfast is ready, and Captain, you are more than welcome to join us.” Molly spoke up and was rewarded with a huge Jack Harkness grin, but before he accepted the invitation, he glanced down at Ianto.

 

“Please stay, Jack.” Ianto asked softly and Jack knew he could never deny Ianto anything.

 

“I’d love to.” Jack told Ianto as he released his lover’s waist and took his hand instead, linking their fingers together. He planted a small, chaste kiss on the tip of Ianto’s pert little nose, and then smiled as Ianto’s cheeks turned a nice rosy colour.

 

Sirius and Draco glared daggers at the two men, and grumbled between themselves, while the twins had a plotting look in their eyes.

 

And that was the story of Jack’s first breakfast with Ianto’s family.


	4. Chapter 4

Gwen was ashamed of herself as she woke up in Owen’s bed, wrapped in his arms. She was ashamed that while she knew how wrong the situation was, she could not deny how right it felt, like she was meant to be in Owen’s arms.

 

‘How could I do this to Rhys, the man who has loved me so faithfully for so long, and to Tosh, who I know has feelings for Owen? I claim to be the heart of Torchwood and boast about my so-called humanity, and yet I hurt those closest to me steadily. I flirted and fawned all over Jack; I distanced myself from Rhys and treated him like he was nothing, thinking I was so special just because I worked for Torchwood. I didn’t even reach out to Ianto. I could see he was hurting, but I did nothing. I ignored him and just let him fade into the background.’

 

‘Now, instead of going home to Rhys, where I belong, I’m here instead. I didn’t have to lie about this mission gone wrong. I could have shared something with him, not the whole truth; he wouldn’t be able to deal with that, but something. But no, instead I run into the arms of the man who is slowly sneaking his way into my heart. I need to figure out what I want and stop hurting everybody I care for.’ Gwen knew that she had decisions to make about her relationships with both Rhys and Owen; she knew deep within her heart that she couldn’t keep leading them both on. One man or the other, she needed to figure out who she wanted a future with.

 

At the start of all this, she would have gladly tossed both Owen and Rhys aside for a shot with Jack, but he had proven beyond any doubt that Ianto was the one he wanted; Ianto and on one else. She had finally realised that fact last night, when Ianto was in danger and hurt. She’d seen the love and fear shining in Jack’s eyes, all of it for Ianto, and she knew for absolute certain that she’d never truly had a shot with Jack. 

 

No, Jack was just a dream, a dream that had slowly faded ever since the incident with the fairies, when Jack gave away Jasmine without a fight. She’d seen a glimpse of the man behind the hero, and she’d finally realised that it was not Jack she wanted, but the heroic facade he showed to the world. When push came to shove and she’d been forced to see that hint of darkness in Jack’s soul, she’d run. But not Ianto; no, he had seen that darker side of Jack, twice, and he had stayed at Jack’s side. He understood Jack and accepted him for the man he truly was.

 

Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones were meant to be, and Gwen could only hope she chose the right man, the one who would love and accept her, flaws and all, just like Jack and Ianto accepted and loved one another.

 

*****

Standing outside the door of Ianto’s flat, Tosh twisted her hands in nervousness as the sounds of laughter reached out into the hallway, and she began to wonder if she was making the right choice in stopping by to visit Ianto.

 

Gathering up her courage, she knocked on the door, blinking as it opened to reveal a handsome young redheaded man who smiled brightly at her.

 

“Hello, I’m Charlie, and you have got to be Toshiko Sato; Ianto figured you might stop around for a visit.” Charlie told the stunned Tosh. “He said that next to Jack, you were the most worried about him, and he told us that you were the first one to reach out to him after Lisa, so as a close friend of Ianto’s, I would like to thank you on behalf of us all, and say you are much more cuter in person.” Charlie finally paused for a breath of air and sent her a wink.

 

Tosh could feel her face turn bright red at Charlie’s compliments and suddenly she found her shoes to be very interesting.

 

Charlie thought she looked adorable as she blushed and he wondered if she was single. ‘I’ll have to ask Ianto, later, when he’s not glued to Jack’s side.’ While Charlie was happy for his friend, he did not need to be reminded that he was alone. “Would you like to join us for breakfast? Jack already has.” Charlie offered.

 

“I don’t want to impose.” Tosh admitted softly, only a little surprised that Jack was here; she’d seen the way Jack had behaved with Ianto last night.

 

Charlie reached out and grasped Tosh’s hand. “You won’t, I promise. Now come on in before the food is all eaten.” Tosh didn’t even have a chance to blink as Charlie grasped her hand and dragged her into Ianto’s flat.

 

“Tosh! It’s good to see you.” That was the only warning Tosh got before a clearly hyped-up Jack engulfed her in a tight hug. “I’m so glad that you’re okay, my beautiful Tosh,” Jack whispered in her ear.

 

Tosh returned Jack’s hug and snuggled in closer to the man who would always be her hero. “I’m okay, Jack, Ianto made sure of that.” She told Jack with a smile directed at Ianto, who was standing behind Jack.

 

“It was my honour, Tosh. I couldn’t lose my favourite team-mate.” Ianto told her with his own, shyer, smile.

 

They both shared a laugh as Jack released Tosh and turned to Ianto with a big pout on his lips. “I thought I was your favourite.” Jack frowned at him with mock hurt.

 

Ianto moved towards Jack and tenderly kissed that luscious pouting mouth. “You have a ranking that is all to yourself and it’s one that no one will ever be able to match. Tosh may be my favourite, but you will always be the most important one in my life.” Ianto whispered low enough that only Jack could hear.

 

Complete and utter joy surged through Jack’s heart and he pulled Ianto into a much deeper kiss.

 

“We may have given you permission to court our son, but that does not mean you can jump him whenever you feel like it.” Sirius’ voice was worse than a cold shower as Ianto blush bright red and pulled away from Jack.

 

Except Jack refused to let him go so easily and he looped his arms around Ianto’s waist and kept him pinned against his body. “Actually you would be wrong; your permission simply means that I can, as you put it, jump Ianto any time I like.” And just to be absolutely sure he had ticked Sirius off properly, Jack nuzzled the delicate flesh behind Ianto’s ear, earning himself a strangled moan from his future lover.

 

Sirius was seething with barely controlled rage at the nerve of Captain Jack Harkness. “Let’s get one thing very clear, Captain, I do not like you. You have hurt my son greatly and until you prove yourself to me, that opinion will more than likely not change. I only put up with you for my son’s sake, because nothing is more important to me than his happiness.”

 

Jack raised an eyebrow. Sirius was not the first parent that didn’t like him, and in truth, Jack really didn’t care. “I respect your honesty, but I really don’t care how you feel. The only person I care about liking me is Ianto, and I think it’s pretty clear how Ianto feels about me.” Jack purred as he tightened his grip on Ianto.

 

Ianto rolled his eyes, not at all impressed with either his father’s or Jack’s macho posturing and with some difficulty, he pulled himself out of Jack’s arms. “If the prize you both seek may talk now,” he started sarcastically, smiling as both Jack and his dad had the grace to look ashamed. “Dad, I’m not asking you to like Jack, but please, give him a chance?” He pleaded with his dad before turning to Jack. “And while we are around my parents, could you please tone it down just a bit?”

 

Jack pouted again, sulking petulantly at the thought of having to keep his hands off of Ianto. Even the briefest period of time was almost too much for Jack to bear, but for his Ianto, he would try. “Fine, for you I’ll tone it down when we’re in public.” Jack promised. ‘But when we’re alone? Oh, baby, that’s a whole other story!’ Jack purred to himself.

 

You didn’t have to be a mind reader to guess what was going through Jack’s mind when a leer unconsciously crossed his face as the immortal gazed at Ianto.

 

Ianto’s blush grew even darker the longer Jack looked at him. Ianto suddenly felt like he was a rare delicacy that Jack wanted to feast upon ravenously. “If Tosh is going to get any breakfast, then we better get back in there.”

 

Despite his one-track mind when it came to Ianto, Jack did sense that his soon-to-be mate was extremely embarrassed. “Well, we can’t have Tosh starve, she’s far too important to lose.”

 

Tosh blushed at Jack’s praise; she wasn’t used to it, and probably never would be, but it was nice to hear.

 

“Great! Let’s get going.” Charlie snagged Tosh by the wrist and dragged her with him deeper into Ianto’s flat.

 

A calculating, speculative look entered Ianto’s eyes as he watched one of his old friends clearly taking a liking to one of his new friends, and in all honesty, Ianto couldn’t help but think that Charlie and Tosh would make a cute couple. ‘Maybe if I drop a few hints, the others might become involved in playing matchmaker. Maybe then they’d leave my love life alone.’ Ianto hated to toss Tosh to the wolves like that, but he needed his family to back off so he could work on his relationship with Jack.

 

Plus, Ianto couldn’t help but think that Charlie would help Tosh to get over Owen before she got her heart broken. He was not blind to the fact that Owen and Gwen had started shagging, and if he was right, it was going to become much more than that.

 

He felt badly for Rhys and Tosh. That was why Ianto hoped that Charlie and Tosh could start something, because he knew that Owen and Gwen’s affair was going to lead to heartbreak. Ianto was saddened by the realisation that it was more than likely going to be Tosh and Rhys that got hurt. While Owen and Gwen were trying to deny that there weren’t’ any feelings between them, Ianto could see the emotions growing between the two of them.

 

“What are you thinking about so hard, gorgeous?” Jack’s silken voice washed over Ianto as he felt the older man’s hot breath tickle his ear.

 

Even as he bent his head to give Jack better access to his neck, Ianto gave him a purely innocent look. “Nothing, Sir.” His voice rumbled softly in his chest and the sound shot straight to Jack’s groin.

 

Jack gave an undignified snort at that and was surprised to hear it echoed. His eyes shot to Sirius before returning to his would-be lover. “Now, now, gorgeous, it’s not nice to lie, so why don’t you tell me what you’re planning or will I have to force it out of you?” To Ianto, it was unfair how seductive Jack could make a single word sound.

 

A whimper actually escaped Ianto’s lips before he could stop it, and his body heated at the desire swimming in those blue eyes of the Captain he loved so much. It took all his willpower not to say screw the courting and have Jack take him to bed now.

 

“Ianto, if you don’t wish for Sirius to try and murder your future mate, you might want to stop with the eye-sex and come back inside. I can only hold Sirius back for so long.” Remus’ highly amused voice washed over them, ruining the moment.

 

Coming out of his haze, Ianto blinked and turned around to face his dads and he was surprised to see that Remus was indeed holding Sirius around the waist. From the look in his dad’s eyes, it was clear that he wanted to ripe Jack apart, limb from limb. ‘How is it that the wolf is the voice of reason here?’ he wondered.

 

“Right, come along, Jack, time to finish breakfast.” Ianto snagged Jack’s arm and dragged the all-too-willing Captain back into the dining room, fully aware of the fact that Jack was enjoying the view of his jean-clad arse as he walked.

 

‘Oh, God, I cannot wait to find out how tight that arse is.’ Jack nearly groaned out loud as imagines of a beautiful, naked Ianto filled his head. He began to make a list of all the places in Ianto’s flat and at the Hub that he would have to christen with Ianto. His bed, naturally, was the number one on the list. It was an alpha male thing, and in order to make his claim clear to any and all possible competition, including Ianto’s parent, he needed to claim his mate in his den.

 

Again, Jack was lucky that neither Sirius nor Remus could hear his thoughts or he would be one dead Captain. Not that it would matter to him, but he wanted to tell Ianto about his immortality in his own way, rather than let the young man stumble onto the truth. ‘I’ll to make sure I explain to Ianto about how Gwen knows about my little talent; I don’t want Ianto to think I confided in her. No, that’s a whole mess I would rather avoid.’ 

 

Jack was not blind as everyone thought he was when it came to 21st century emotions. He knew of Gwen’s crush on him, her all-out hero worship for him, just as he knew that he was guilty of doing nothing to discourage the woman. With a flash of clarity, Jack understood that he was wholly responsible for Ianto’s belief that he was only second best in Jack’s life. Jack vowed to himself that from that moment on, he would do everything in his power to wipe those doubts from Ianto’s mind, and at the same time, set Gwen and the rest of the world straight that he wanted Ianto and no one else.

 

“Calm down, love; you can’t keep attempting to kill Jack every time he touches Ianto. I know you don’t like him, but could you at least try and get along with him, not for my sake but for Ianto’s. He really does care for the man, and with you and Jack constantly at each other’s throats, it’s only putting Ianto in the middle.” Remus was patient with his husband as he pointed out the facts to Sirius, and when the wolf felt Sirius sag in his arms, he knew that he had finally gotten through to his mate.

 

“I’ll try my love, but the man’s not making it easy. Ianto has been so hurt by love before and I wasn’t there to keep him safe,” Sirius admitted softly, and suddenly it became clear to Remus why Sirius was acting like the way he was.

 

“Sirius, what happen was beyond our control. I will not lie to you; it was hard how Ianto was forced to grow up with the stories about your imprisonment and all the lies he was force to tell and live as a child. You both were robbed of so much, Sirius, and heaven knows you have tried your best to make up for what you missed.” Remus whispered soothingly to his husband.

 

It always amazed Sirius at how well Remus could read him. “I just want to make sure that Jack is right for Ianto, that we can trust him with Ianto’s heart.” Sirius turned around to rest comfortably in Remus’ arms and he laid his head on his husband’s shoulder. Remus ran his hand up and down his mate’s back. He could feel the vibrating tension begin to slowly leave his body.

 

“I think maybe you should talk to Jack, explain your feelings to him, and tell him why you are so overly protective of Ianto.” Remus suggested, knowing that if Jack had an idea of why Sirius was so protective of Ianto, then maybe he would respect the boundaries that Sirius laid out between the two men. It would also give Jack a clearer picture of what Ianto had gone through as a child.

 

“Fine, but if he flirts with me, I reserve the right to smack him one.” Sirius growled out clenching his fist at the thought.

 

Remus chuckled at the idea of Jack making a move on Sirius. “You have nothing to worry about there, love. I very much doubt that he will try anything, he’s clearly too far gone on Ianto. And besides, Ianto is his mate; he would never allow any harm to come to him and that includes flirting with you. I have seen it in Jack’s eyes; he is very serious about Ianto.” Remus reassured his husband.

 

Grumbling under his breath, Sirius re-entered Ianto’s flat with Remus happily trailing after him.

 

They quickly located Ianto in his living room and just as they thought, where Ianto was, Jack was right beside him, an air of alpha male possessiveness around him. He was gazing fondly at Ianto, who was introducing Tosh to Emily, and they took note of Charlie, standing beside Tosh, still holding her hand in his.

 

Sirius moved towards Jack and then levelled a stern look at the man. “We need to talk.” His tone left no room for question or hesitation.

 

Curious, Jack raised an eyebrow but followed Sirius out of the room and down the hall into Ianto’s bedroom; neither men noticed Ianto watching them leave with a worried look in his eyes.

 

Remus came up to his son and rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I promise you they’re only going to talk, but if they do start fighting, I will go break it up…” and he grinned impishly, “… Or send in Emily and Molly.” He reassured Ianto.

 

Ianto felt calm fill him at his father’s promise. “I vote we send in Mom; that would teach them to play nice with each other.”

 

Remus’ booming laughter echoed throughout the living room.

 

With Remus’ laughter following them down the hall, Jack was surprised to find himself being led into Ianto’s bedroom, and he smirked. “Not that I’m not flattered, but I’m afraid the answer is no, I won’t betray Ianto like this.”

 

It took only a second for Sirius to figure out what Jack was saying and when he did, a look of pure disgust came over his handsome features. “Get your head out of the gutter! Even if you weren’t after my son, I would never sleep with you. I would never betray Remus. I told you we need to talk and talk is all we are going to do.”

 

Jack crossed his arms over his broad chest and gazed serenely at Sirius, waiting for him to start speaking.

 

Sirius ran a hand through his dark locks. “If you know about the wizarding world, then you must know about me?” Sirius caught Jack’s nod out of the corner of his eye. “Ianto is my and Remus son, Remus carried him. Remus and I were so happy to start a family together and our news was made all the more wonderful when we learned that our best friend, James Potter, and his lovely wife, Lily, were also excepting their first child, so we made plans to raise our children together.

 

“But that was never to be. Voldemort and his followers made damn sure of that. Tensions were running high and plans were being made; Emily doesn’t know this, but if anything were to happen to all of us, she was listed as the boys’ next of kin. She would be the one to raise Ianto and Harry. It got so bad that distrust managed to wiggle its way in between my relationship with Remus; I’m ashamed to say that there was a time when we both believed the other one to be a traitor. It cost us dearly, but more importantly, it cost Ianto dearly.

 

“I won’t go into detail, but I was framed and locked away. Remus, because he is a so-called ‘dark creature’, had to give our son to Emily to raise. I spent the first fourteen years of my son’s life locked away; and ever since then, I have tried my hardest to make up for all those precious moments I missed. After the war I vowed that I would keep Ianto safe, although I failed in doing so at the fall of Torchwood One. The loss of Lisa nearly destroyed Ianto, but I can see that what Ianto is coming to feel for you will far surpass his love for Lisa by a mile.

 

“I made a vow to not let anything hurt Ianto again, so how can I trust you not break his heart when I know that the only reason you are here is that you are waiting for the Doctor?” A cunning grin over took Sirius’ face at the look of shock on Jack’s face. “You’re not the only one who did research.”

 

If he were being truly honest with himself, that was a question that had been plaguing Jack since the moment he met Ianto. It was just one more reason why he had kept his distance from Ianto, because a part of him knew what the young Welshman could and would come to mean to him. Jack knew himself well enough to know that he didn’t know if loving Ianto would be enough to keep him on Earth should the Doctor ever return.

 

Jack knew that Sirius only had Ianto’s best interests at heart, and he couldn’t really fault the man for being an overprotective father, and that was why he decided to tell Sirius the truth. “I’ve being waiting for the Doctor for so long; he has the answers I seek. I would be a liar if I were to swear that I would never go. But even if I went with the Doctor, and that has become a big if, it would only be to find out the truth about me. I will always come back for Ianto. Even if I have to die a thousand times or more, I will come back to Ianto.” He vowed, his heart blazing in his eyes.

 

Sirius could see the truth in Jack’s eyes and nodded his head. “I will accept that promise, but know this, Jack Harkness. If I find out you abandoned Ianto for this Doctor of yours, then I will take Ianto back to the wizarding world and make sure you never see him again.” Sirius made his own vow.

 

Jack’s steely blue eyes met Sirius’ darker gaze. “Agreed,” and with that the two men shook hands.

 

“Now, can I please get back to Ianto?” Jack didn’t like leaving his unclaimed mate alone in a room full of males; he knew how hot and desirable his Ianto was.

 

A devious smirk spread across Sirius’ face as he decided to play with Jack. “I can understand why you wouldn’t want to leave Ianto alone, seeing as both Draco and Harry had things for Ianto in the not-so-long-ago past.” Sirius was pleased to see that he didn’t even finished speaking before Jack was out of the bedroom and stalking towards the living room where Ianto was.

 

‘Maybe this won’t be so bad.’ Sirius thought with a whistle as he followed after Jack, it might be worth putting up with Jack if he got to rile him up so easily.

 

Ianto barely had a chance to blink before Jack was across the room and pulling him into a deep, claiming kiss. There was so much passion sparking around that nearly everybody in Ianto’s flat blushed red as the two men began to put on quite the show for them.

 

“Mine.” Jack growled possessively against Ianto’s lips.

 

“Yours.” Ianto whispered back and that was all Jack needed to hear before he reclaimed Ianto’s mouth which belong to him and him alone.

 

It was clear to all that Jack and Ianto were trying to devour one another through their mouths. But, sadly, all good things had to end and Jack somehow found the willpower and strength to break the kiss.

 

Ianto could not deny the whimper that tore from his lips at the loss of Jack’s mouth against his.

 

A fond chuckle escaped Jack’s mouth as he gently nuzzled Ianto’s cheek. “I would love to continue this, but I’m afraid that work calls. Owen and I are the only ones fit to watch the Rift, and I’ve been gone long enough that he is more than likely already at work with a scowl on his face.”

 

Ianto actually pouted; he did not want to have to share Jack with Torchwood or anybody, not today; today he wanted Jack all to himself. And as if Jack was reading his thoughts, he nuzzled his cheek against Ianto’s and whispered for his ears only, “Nothing would give me more pleasure to stay here and make love to you all day long, to learn, map and taste every inch of your body. To hear your cries of pleasure as I claim your body, heart and soul as mine and mine alone.” Jack growled in a husky tone.

 

A slight cough forced Jack and Ianto to break their staring contest, and they turned to see Tosh looking at them, a light blush dusting across her cheeks.

 

“Yes, Tosh?” Jack asked in a surprisingly gentle tone; no matter what she might have just broken up, Jack could never be harsh with his dear Toshiko.

 

“If it is all right with you, I would like to come into work today. I wasn’t hurt as badly as Ianto or shot like Gwen, plus it would give me something to focus on; the memories are still far too fresh.” Tosh finished off in a whisper.

 

Something surged forth in Jack, something different than his need to care for Ianto. That man was his mate. No, this was more like an alpha protecting an injured cub.

 

With understanding written in his eyes, Ianto stepped out of Jack’s loosening grip, allowing the immortal to go over to Tosh, and Jack flashed his young mate a thankful smile as he pulled her into his arms.

 

“My beautiful and brave Toshiko, you brighten the Hub with your very presence. It would be an honour to have you to look at, plus it would help get me through this dreadful day of not only no Ianto but no Ianto coffee, and, AND…” Jack paused for dramatic effect. “… It would spare me from having only Owen to look at.” Jack pouted adorably and Tosh couldn’t help but laugh, which made Jack smile; his mission was complete, he’d gotten Tosh to laugh.

 

Jack, without losing hold of Tosh, reached out and snagged Ianto by the wrist, pulling the young man into a three-way hug. Ianto rolled his eyes fondly but went willingly and he sighed himself as he heard Jack sigh in contentment at being between him and Tosh. Ianto couldn’t resist leaning past Toshiko and kissing Jack fondly on the lips.

 

Freeing his hand, Jack ran the back of his hand across Ianto’s cheek. “I will see you tonight if the Rift behaves. I expect you to do nothing but rest today; I can only go so long without seeing you.” Jack murmured softly and honestly.

 

Ianto beamed at Jack, happiness filling him. “I feel the same way, Sir.” He admitted, placing a seductive tone on the word he knew drove Jack crazy.

 

Jack let out a groan and mock-glared at his tempting Welsh wizard. “Get better fast, because I have some serious plans for us.” He whispered the promise and then, with strength he didn’t know he had, Jack managed to pull himself away from Ianto. “I will see you later tonight.” He eyes were full of things to come as he raked them down Ianto’s body.

 

Reaching out, Ianto snagged Jack in for a soft and tender good-bye kiss. “I’ll be waiting with coffee and dinner.” Ianto whispered against Jack’s lips before he slowly released his mate and straightened out Jack’s greatcoat.

 

“I’m looking forward to tonight.” Jack promised before backing away to let Tosh and Ianto to say good-bye.

 

Tosh flung her arms around Ianto, careful she didn’t jar his injuries. “I never got the chance to thank you for saving me last night. You sacrificed yourself for me, and I will be forever grateful and in your debt.” Tears glistened in Tosh’s eyes as she thanked the young man whom she had ignored for the better part of the last few months.

 

Ianto’s arms wrapped around Tosh, “Oh, my dear, sweet Tosh, I just reacted yesterday, I couldn’t bear the thought of you at the mercy of those creatures. And the idea of you nearly being tenderized makes me sick. All I ask in payment is that we get to know each other because I think you and I could be great friends.” Ianto looked almost shy at the end.

 

Tosh gave him a brilliant smile that only a few lucky persons had ever seen. “I would like that very much, Ianto.” All she wanted was a chance to make things right with Ianto, a new start.

 

Jack was filled with pride and happiness as his mate and the woman he saw as both a daughter and sister, getting along. “I hate to break up this touching moment,” and he really did, “but Tosh and I had better get to the Hub before Myfanwy decides to go looking for chocolate again.”

 

Ianto couldn’t help but shudder and smile fondly; the last time they had left Myfanwy alone for too long, she had single-handily managed to nearly destroy the Hub after catching a whiff of carelessly left out chocolate bars, one hidden in Owen’s desk and the other in Jack’s office. Ianto levelled a glare at Jack. “I am not cleaning up a chocolate-related mess again.” The firm tone he used informed Jack that if he didn’t deal with the possible mess himself, then the immortal’s hope of getting into his bed would suffer a serious set-back.

 

“I promise the Hub will be in perfect condition upon your return to work.” Jack promised and that was one promise he was going to keep. No messy Hub was going to stand in the way of his getting his mate into bed.

 

A devious look entered Ianto’s eyes as he trailed a finger along Jack’s strong chest, silently cursing the fact that he was wearing clothing. “See that it is, Captain, and I will reward you, greatly.”

 

Jack nearly stumbled over his own feet as everyone else choked over how dirty Ianto made the last word sound.

 

Giggling, Tosh grasped Jack’s arm and began herding him towards the door. “I better get this one out of here before he is reduced to a drooling mess. I’ll see you later, Ianto, and don’t worry, I’ll make sure Jack behaves.” Tosh’s promise echoed back to them as she dragged Jack out of Ianto’s flat.

 

Silence reigned for a moment until Charlie spoke up. “I like Tosh.” He announced to the room. “So, is she single?” He directed the last part at Ianto.

 

Ianto quirked an eyebrow at Charlie. ‘Hah! I knew it! He does like her,’ before smiling and answering, “Tosh is indeed single, but I would caution you to be very careful with her heart. Jack and I are both very protective of her.” Ianto warned his old friend.

 

While Ianto and Jack were having their rather informative and very demonstrative good-bye, one that many wished they had kept private, Draco and Sirius were in the corner talking in low tones. It was a situation that should and did worry everyone; those two plotting together was never a good thing, especially for whomever they were discussing. Moments later, Sirius turned back to the room and announced loudly,

 

“Your father and I are staying for a while.” Ianto choked on nothing, as did everyone else, at Sirius’ unexpected news.

 

Draco had a very smug look on his face as he grinned at Sirius. “Well, what do you know about that? So are Harry and I!” He opened his eyes wide with exaggerated innocence.

 

Harry and Remus shared a look of concern. This was the first they had heard of these plans and they both knew that their husbands were up to something. The idea of the two of them working together sent a shiver of fear down Harry and Remus’ spines. While it was rare for Sirius and Draco to work together, when they did, it never boded well for anyone, especially Ianto’s suitors.

 

Luna hummed under her breath a tune that only Neville heard and he glanced at his best friend, wondering why she was humming what sounded like a wedding march and baby rhyme combined. “Luna, what are you planning?” He asked lowly so no one would overhear their conversation.

 

Luna’s blue eyes shone with knowledge. “Nothing! I am simply the messenger of my lady; it is her wish that I am fulfilling. Happiness is coming for all of us.” She patted Neville on the hand and went back to her song.

 

Ianto was staring at his dad and his friend with more than a little suspicion in his blue eyes. “And why do you feel the need to stay around? Mum said I was going to be fine, so there’s really no reason for you…” and he swept determined eyes around the room, “… any of you, to stay around.”

 

A pout crossed both Sirius and Draco’s mouths, which was a very dangerous thing, because just like when Jack pouted, Ianto couldn’t find it within him to say no to them. “That’s just not fair; you two are ganging up on me. Fine, you can stay, but you both have to promise me that you will be nice to Jack, he is very important to me. My wolf cries for him.” Ianto admitted softly as he fell back onto his couch, an air of defeat around him.

 

Remus took a deep breath and stared sternly at everyone. “I need to talk to Ianto, alone. Everyone out, now!” The alpha tone had the hair on the back of everyone’s necks standing up. They might not have been wolves, but they were a pack and they knew they must listen to their alpha. No one dared question Remus’ demand, and in a matter of moments the flat was clear.

 

Remus caught Sirius by the arm and placed a soft kiss on his husband’s lips. “I will talk to you afterwards, but I need to talk to Ianto alone. His wolf will respond better to me without an audience. Please understand?” Remus couldn’t bear for his mate to be angry at him, but at the same time he needed to talk to their son alone.

 

Reaching out, Sirius stroked Remus’ cheek. “I trust you. Just take care of our boy, okay?” He hated the idea that Ianto might be suffering.

 

Sirius moved towards Ianto and placed a gentle kiss on Ianto’s forehead. “No matter what, you know that all I want for you is to be happy, right?” He whispered, and he waited for Ianto nod before heading out of Ianto’s flat himself.

 

Once the door closed behind Sirius, Remus quickly cast a silencing charm around Ianto’s flat; he wouldn’t put it past any of their friends to hang about and eavesdrop. Satisfied that they could now talk in private, he sat beside Ianto, wrapped his arm around his son, and brought him to rest against his side. Ianto curled up against him like he had when he was a child.

 

“Talk to me, Ianto, tell me how your wolf reacts around Jack. How does it differ from when you were with Lisa,” Remus commanded.

 

Ianto took a shaky breath before he began to explain, taking the opportunity to order his chaotic thoughts. “Lisa was like a breath of fresh air; she was so innocent and so accepting of my past. She loved me for who I was and who I could be, despite the blood on my hands. I loved her, Dad, I really did but not in the way most people believed. I never saw her my mate, only as a pack-mate; my wolf marked her as sister.” Ianto was close to tears by then and Remus tightened his hold on Ianto.

 

“I would have damned my soul if it meant I could have saved her.” He looked up at his father, earnestness shining through the tears in his eyes. “I wanted to save her like she saved me and then I was going to Retcon her and give her the life she deserved. Jack was a surprise, one that I never expected to find.”

 

Remus was struck by the complete change in demeanour that came over his son at the mention of Jack’s name. Any trace of tears was gone, and a soft, loving light entered Ianto’s eyes, a small smile graced the corners of his mouth. ‘That’s the way Sirius looked on the day he proposed to me,’ the older man amused.

 

“The moment I met him in the park that night my wolf declared him ‘mine’. Whatever love I thought I had for Lisa paled in comparison to what I felt for Jack in that moment. I knew that Jack Harkness was it, he was my mate. But I couldn’t give up my plans to save Lisa, I owed it to her. It nearly destroyed me to look Jack in the eye and lie to him on a daily basis.

 

“When Lisa was found, my wolf was torn; our sister had been gunned down by our mate. I wanted to kill him and yet at the same time, submit to him. I hated and loved him at the same time.” The tears were back again, and suddenly Ianto was openly crying into his dad’s shoulder. He just didn’t have the strength any more to hold them back. It was the first time since Lisa’s death that he had truly let out his emotions.

 

Remus said nothing, he just held his son as Ianto cried for the loss of a friend and pack-mate as well as for the pain and hurt he and his mate had caused each other. “It’s alright, Ianto, I’ve got you.” It was clear to Remus that Ianto had not taken the time to mourn like he should have. He was prepared to sit and comfort Ianto for as long as his son needed him. “Just let it out, son.”

 

And Ianto did just that, he had no idea how long he stayed in his father’s arms sobbing out all of the loss, the pain, and the fear that had gripped him since the war and the fall of Torchwood One.

 

Every tear of regret and every howl of pain that fell from Ianto’s lips sent a dagger through Remus’ heart; like every other parent, human or wolf, he hated seeing his child suffer.

 

On the other side of Ianto’s front door, it was taking all of Sirius’ control not to rush back inside. The silencing charm might have prevented him from hearing the actual words, but he felt Remus’ distress through their mating bond. His son was hurting and he couldn’t comfort him; the feeling of hopeless, helpless frustration was crippling, just like before when he’d been locked away from the world in Azkaban. Soft female arms wrapped around him in a comforting embrace and Sirius let himself collapse against Emily; together they sank down to the floor, and he cried his own tears for the pain Ianto had been carrying around for so long.

 

Remus was well aware of the emotional turmoil going on in the hall, and he brushed a kiss into Ianto’s hair. “Do you mind if I let your dad and mum back in?” He asked softly.

 

Ianto gave a shaky nod against his father’s shoulder, his face still buried into Remus’ neck. With permission given, Remus slowly released his hold on Ianto and moved towards the door, releasing the spell as he went.

 

Still in Emily’s comforting hold, Sirius blinked as the door opened and Remus’ own red-rimmed eyes met his. Everyone else had followed his orders and was gone. Despite the fact that the wolf knew that they wanted to offer their own comfort and support to Ianto, Remus was grateful that they knew it was not the right time, that they understood that Ianto needed to be with just his parents.

 

Reaching out, Remus stroked the tears from Sirius’ cheek with gentle fingers as he informed them, “Ianto would like for both of you to join us. I will explain everything later, but right now our son needs our support.” Remus offered both his hands to Sirius and Emily, and once they grasped hold, he hauled them to their feet and returned to Ianto’s flat to comfort and care for their son.


	5. Chapter 5

Arriving back at the Hub, Jack had quickly fallen into a grumpy mood. Tosh found it very adorable and sweet, and she looked forward to watching Jack and Ianto’s relationship develop.

 

As he moved about the empty Tourist Office, there was a large pout on Jack’s lips; he clearly missed having Ianto sitting in the office, waiting for him with a shy smile. ‘It was bad enough surviving without Ianto for the four weeks of his suspension. I just get him back and now I have to survive again without my beloved Welshman for who knows how long.’ Jack was not at all happy but knowing that he would at least get to see Ianto later that night soothed him, a little bit.

 

Still, it was going to be a long day. ‘And I don’t even have any of Ianto’s wonderful coffee to get me through the day.’ Jack’s pout returned in full force as he and Tosh entered the Hub.

 

“Bloody hell, Harkness, will you stop pouting already! I refuse to spend the day watching you sulk over the Tea-Boy! Now snap out of it; he’ll be back in no time.” Owen barked loudly once he caught sight of the look on Jack’s face.

 

Jack raised an eyebrow before the pout turned into a grin. “Until I have my gorgeous Welshman back where I can see him, and touch him, and flirt with him, and kiss him, and talk to him,” Jack ticked off each point on his fingers, “until then, I’m free to pout as much as I like and you’ll just have to grin and bear it. Now, how about slipping out and getting us some coffee? I am not letting anyone touch Ianto’s coffee maker; I don’t want him angry at me.” Jack informed Owen.

 

A slow smirk began to appear on Owen’s face as he drawled out, “Well, it’s clear who wears the pants in your relationship.”

 

Jack’s grin turned wicked as he returned Owen’s smirked with one of his own. “Just because I like to keep my mate happy doesn’t mean that Ianto’s in charge of our relationship, although I wouldn’t mind letting him control me anytime.” Tosh, and surprisingly Owen, blushed at how dirty and seductive Jack managed to make that one word sound.

 

Owen’s blush quickly faded as he blanched. “I do not need to hear about your love life with Ianto. Now excuse me, I need to go Retcon that imagine out of my head.” Owen turned and headed into the medical bay, muttering under his breath about ‘Horny Captain’s unable to keep their sex lives to themselves.’ 

 

Suddenly Jack’s day looked a little brighter; while he couldn’t take his pleasure with Ianto, he could at least bug Owen, a lot. Tosh’s soft giggle reached Jack’s ears and the Captain turned around and bounced over to his lovely tech genius. “Tosh, my beautiful flower, would you be a dear and do a coffee run? I have a very important phone call to make.” Jack asked with an adorable pout on his lips and a crafty look in his eyes.

 

A knowing look entered Tosh’s eyes. She wasn’t blind; she knew that Jack’s phone call had to do with those animals that dared to harm Ianto and the rest of them. “I will, as long as you make sure those monsters never see the light of day again.” Tosh growled, sounding like a mother cub protecting her young.

 

Jack cupped Tosh’s chin and made her meet his eyes. “I promise you, they will pay dearly for what they did to you and Ianto.” He was so grateful that he managed to get this beautiful and understanding woman out of UNIT’s prison.

 

Jack was once again reminded of how different Tosh was from Gwen. Gwen would never have approved of what he was about to do. She was still far too fresh on the job. She hadn’t been exposed to or suffered from the horrors that the others had. In some ways, that made them more human than Gwen; they’d lost everything and had fought so others wouldn’t suffer that same type of loss. It was something that Gwen had yet to go through.

 

“Good,” Tosh nodded with approval. “Then I’ll go get us some coffee and maybe something to eat while you deal with everything.” Tosh pressed a kiss onto Jack’s cheek. “I know we don’t say this enough, but thank you, Jack, for saving us and for always looking after us. You make the hard decisions so we don’t have to and I’m sorry about how I treated you after the deal with Jasmine and the fairies.” She apologized for her actions, echoing the words Ianto had spoken earlier on the drive back from Brecon Beacons.

 

Jack smiled at her; it meant a lot to him to hear that from Tosh, but then again this was Tosh, and just like Ianto, she could understand and accept his actions faster than Owen and Gwen were able to. “Thank you, Tosh, for understanding. No matter how I may act or what I may do, I will always do everything in my power to keep you all safe.”

 

Tosh saw the truth in Jack’s eyes and words, and felt a blanket of safety surround her. Torchwood was a dangerous job, but Jack’s promise filled her with a sense of peace. “I know, Jack, and I’ll do my best to remember how much I trust in you. I might fail at times, but that’s only because I’m human.” But Tosh was going to do her best to keep that promise.

 

“That’s all I can ask for, my beautiful Toshiko.” Jack pressed a kiss onto her forehead before letting her go and bounding up to his office.

 

Tosh couldn’t help but smile fondly at her boss before grabbing her purse and heading out to get the caffeine that they craved to get them through the day.

 

*****

 

While her team-mates were settling in for a long day without Ianto’s coffee, Gwen found herself returning to her and Rhys’ flat, but only once she was sure that Rhys had left for work.

 

Unlocking the door, she opened it and called out softly, “Rhys? Are you home?” When no answer came forth, Gwen let out a sigh of relief. Entering the flat, she closed the door behind her and tossed her keys on the coffee table, and then she looked around the flat that had once been so warm and loving. Now, sadly, she found that it no longer carried the same warmth it did before she joined Torchwood. It broke her heart to know her life, her dreams with Rhys, were fading away before her eyes and that nearly destroyed her. She needed to decide what was more important to her, the excitement and the horror that Torchwood brought into her life along with her affair and growing feelings for Owen, or the stability and longevity of the life she had planned for so long with Rhys.

 

Deep within her heart, Gwen knew she had already made her choice, even if she wasn’t ready to admit to herself.

 

*****

 

By the end of the day, which to him had lasted longer than an entire week, Jack was barely able to contain his bounce of happiness. The Rift, for once, was behaving, which meant he was going to be able to spend glorious, quiet time with his Ianto. He had already sent Tosh and Owen home about a half an hour ago, and once he finished up his little bit of work then he was off to see his mate.

 

“Done!” Jack declared with a smile as he finished signing his last piece of paper. He was looking forward to the reward Ianto was going to give him for finishing off his paperwork without been asked.

 

Just as he put his pen down the Hub alarms began going off. Curious as to what was going on, Jack moved out from behind his desk and to the doorway of his office in time to see Gwen enter the Hub. “Gwen, are you all right?” Jack asked as he moved towards the Welshwoman who had stopped in the middle of the Hub, and his concern only grew as he saw the unshed tears in her eyes.

 

Taking a shaky breath, Gwen made what was one of the hardest and yet easiest decisions of her life. She met Jack’s gaze head-on and declared firmly, “I want to be Retconned. I want to forget Torchwood. I thought I was strong enough to handle all this, but I’m not. Torchwood is slowly beginning to take over my life and I’m on the verge of losing Rhys and that is something I can’t live with. I’m sorry, Jack. I love all the fun and excitement, but I just can’t handle the bad. I will miss you all but I just can’t do this.” By the end of her speech, Gwen was crying.

 

Jack gave her a sad smile; he had known this moment was coming; the incidents with the fairies and the cannibals had shaken Gwen too badly. She was right; she wasn’t cut out for Torchwood, and it was better in the long run that she found that out before she lost what really mattered to her the most, her relationship with Rhys.

 

“Very well. You will be missed, Gwen, but you need to do what is best for yourself and for Rhys.”

 

Jack left the Hub’s main floor with Gwen following meekly behind him to the medical bay. She watched Jack unlock the cabinet that held the Retcon and calculate the proper dosage. He gathered the right amount needed to erase any trace of Torchwood from Gwen’s memory and handed her the tablet. “I’ll get the others on it; we’ll make sure to remove all traces of your time with us, and we’ll make sure that you have your old job with the police.” Jack reassured her.

 

Giving Jack a watery yet happy smile Gwen accepted the tablet. “Please tell the others I’m sorry and I’m going to miss them so much. I just hope they don’t hate me.”

 

Jack shook his head. “We won’t hate you. You have a chance at a normal life, untouched by Torchwood, something we won’t get. Just live your life, Gwen, marry Rhys and have lots of children. It will remind us what we are fighting for.”

 

“Take care of Ianto. He is the link to humanity you need, not me. Ianto is by far the most human of us all. He has seen horrors that I can’t even begin to imagine, and yet he can still love so deeply and purely. Take care of him, of all of them.” Gwen pressed a kiss to Jack’s cheek before turning on her heel and walking away from Torchwood for the very last time.

 

Jack watched her go, her words echoing deep within him, and a smile slowly spread across his face as he realised that Gwen was right. Ianto was his link to humanity that he sought, the one who would reawaken his soul.

 

‘I need to inform Tosh and Owen, and have Tosh erase Gwen from our system and work her magic on the Police computers and get Gwen her constable’s job back. Maybe it would be safer to put her in for a transfer.’ Jack couldn’t help but sigh; it looked like he wasn’t going to be getting to Ianto’s as soon as he would have liked.

 

*****

Ianto was getting worried; Jack should have been with him by now. After his earlier break down, all he wanted was to be safe and sound in Jack’s arms, to have his mate comfort him.

 

His negative and positive sides were arguing with themselves. One was feeding all of his doubts with whispers of ‘He’s not coming’ and ‘Why would he want some weak Tea-Boy when he could have Gwen or anyone else in his bed?’ 

 

His other side was much more reassuring. ‘You are his mate. Have faith; he will come. There were only three of them working today. Jack will be here, do not lose faith in your mate.’ 

 

Ianto knew he needed to trust Jack, the man had declared him his after all and that claim that was not to be taken lightly.

 

A knock on the door broke Ianto out of his thoughts and a smile lit his face as his heart did a little jig. Jack was here! Opening the door, Ianto was taken aback by the sight of a red-eyed Jack; his heart went out to his mate. Reaching out for Jack, he brought him into his flat and into his arms. “What’s wrong, Jack? You can tell me anything.” Ianto whispered soothingly into Jack’s ear.

 

Jack said nothing, just buried his head into Ianto’s neck and took a deep whiff of his mate’s calming scent. “Gwen asked to be Retconned tonight. She said that she couldn’t handle the horrors of Torchwood or the strain it was beginning to put on her relationship with Rhys.” Jack admitted quietly.

 

Ianto’s heart went out to Jack. “I’m sorry; I know how much Gwen meant to you.” He kissed Jack softly on his temple.

 

“Thank you.” Jack hugged his young love to him. “I’m not surprised that Gwen asked to leave, though. In truth, she was too emotional for our job and she couldn’t accept the hard decisions, like me giving away Jasmine. Gwen just wasn’t right for Torchwood.”

 

Jack lifted his head to look Ianto in the eyes as he continued. “But right now, that’s not important. What really matters is that I need to know you are here, safe and sound. While I will miss Gwen, she is not the one who keeps me sane, who taught me to feel again, who makes me human. No, that was you, my beloved Welshman.”

 

Ianto was blown away by how open Jack was being with his emotions, and he could see the truth written in the stormy blue eyes that he loved so much. Surging forward, he claimed Jack’s mouth in kiss full of lust and love.

 

Growling into the kiss, Jack easily took control and poured out every inch of love and desire he had for the Welsh wizard in his arms. Kicking the door closed behind him, Jack began to back Ianto up towards his couch.

 

Hands began to roam beneath clothing as the need for skin-on-skin contact became overwhelming. A gasp escaped Ianto’s lips into their kiss as Jack’s hands dipped into his pants and those strong hands grasped his behind.

 

Jack moaned into Ianto’s mouth as he finally got his hands on the arse that had driven him insane for the past few months. Pulling their bodies flush against one another, Jack let Ianto feel just what he did to him.

 

Somehow, Jack found the strength to break the kiss and pull his hands away from Ianto’s tempting body, and with a lust-blown gaze, he looked into Ianto’s own blue eyes, eyes that were darkened with need and desire. It was with truly great sadness that Jack forced himself to say, “No, not yet, Ianto. You’re still injured and tonight I just want to hold you in my arms.” Suddenly feeling unusually shy, Jack asked, “Would that be okay?”

 

Ianto found shy Jack to be utterly adorable. “That would be perfectly fine,” he reassured Jack as he took his hand in his. “Why don’t you have a shower and I’ll fix us up something to eat and make some coffee?” Ianto suggested.

 

Grinning brightly at his future lover, Jack placed a soft kiss on Ianto’s forehead. “That sounds lovely. It was pure torture not having any of your coffee. Thank you.” He also needed the time to get his body under control; Ianto was still recovering and he didn’t dare take the risk of hurting Ianto’s battered body any more than it already was.

 

Gripping Jack’s hand tightly, Ianto tugged on him to follow him. “I’ll show you to the bathroom and get you some towels. Try and relax; I know you’ve had a tough few days and Gwen’s decision to leave couldn’t have made it any easier.”

 

At that moment Jack was truly grateful to whatever being in the Universe had brought such a beautiful and caring man into his life. ‘I was so focused on what Gwen might bring to Torchwood that I failed to notice that the caring heart I had looked for was right before my eyes. Ianto Jones is our true heart and it was about time my eyes finally saw that.’ Jack cursed his earlier blindness to what Ianto brought to Torchwood and to him. “You take such good care of all of us. Who takes care for you?” Jack asked softly.

 

Smiling, Ianto leaned into his touch and looked up at him with shyness. “I’m hoping that you’ll be up to the task,” he suggested softly.

 

Jack’s heart melted completely for this young man. “Oh, Ianto, I always take very good care of what is mine, and you are mine, soon to be in every way.” Jack purred the last words out as he lifted their joined hands up and pressed a kiss on Ianto’s cut-up knuckles. He wanted to kiss every one of Ianto’s cuts and bruises better, and tonight he would repay Ianto for all the times he had taken care of him. Tonight it was Jack’s turn to take care of Ianto.

 

Never before had anyone ever done such a sweet gesture, and Ianto felt his heart skip a beat he kissed Jack slowly and tenderly, letting the other man know just how much he was looking forward to being under Jack’s care.

 

Breaking the kiss, Jack ran the back of his free hand across Ianto’s cheek. “My adorable and beautiful mate, I will protect you from now on and make sure that you are never hurt again like you were yesterday.” Jack vowed.

 

Ianto leaned into the caress and answered softly, “I know, Jack. I trust you.”

 

‘I trust you.’ Those three little words meant the world to Jack; to know and to hear that Ianto, his mate, trusted him filled Jack with warmth he hadn’t felt in a very long time; not even Rose and the Doctor’s trust gave him such a sense of peace.

 

“Once I’ve showered and we’ve eaten, I’m going to take care of you. I am going to look after you; tonight my full focus is on caring for you.” Jack gave Ianto on last kiss on Ianto’s forehead before forcing his body to move away from his mate.

 

Ianto couldn’t help but let his eyes drift down Jack’s strong back to watch that arse as Jack made his way into the bathroom, laughing as Jack gave a little wiggle.

 

With a smirk firmly on his face, Jack entered Ianto’s bathroom and closed the door behind him. He enjoyed having Ianto’s eyes on him and he enjoyed hearing Ianto laugh. With a deep sigh, and a strict order to his body to calm itself down, Jack stripped off his clothes and stepped into Ianto’s shower, bowing his head under the cascading water.

 

Shaking his head fondly, Ianto turned on his heel and headed back towards his kitchen, grateful that his parents had left without a fuss and given him time alone with Jack. Before their relationship could go any further, Ianto needed to tell Jack about his furry little friend, and they really needed to talk and clear the air between them.

 

*****

After the news that Gwen had left them, Owen found his way to the nearest bar and proceeded to get sloshed. ‘I finally find someone I just might be able to care about and she bloody leaves. But I should have known that Gwen would always choose Rhys; I’m just surprised that she chose him over Torchwood.’ Owen grumbled as he downed another shot.

 

Tonight, Owen was going to get piss-drunk and find a warm and willing body to lose himself in for the night.

 

*****

With one finale keystroke, Tosh officially wiped Gwen Cooper from the Torchwood database. In truth, Tosh didn’t know how she felt about that; she and Gwen hadn’t been close, but she would miss the woman. But in the end, Tosh respected Gwen’s commitment to Rhys and the way she had gotten out before Torchwood left her relationship in ruins.

 

A sigh escaped her lips as she began to feel so alone. ‘Jack and Ianto are on their way to finding one another. And I’m not foolish enough to think that Owen will ever see me as anything more than the smart one. I wish I could find someone who will love me for me.’ An image of Charlie’s smile flashed before her mind and Tosh found herself blushing, a small smile spread across her face. ‘Hmm, I wonder…’

 

*****

Jack felt more like himself after his shower, but in truth, he would have liked it better if he had shared it with a certain Welshman. ‘Soon, very soon,’ Jack promised himself as he made his way into Ianto’s kitchen.

 

Ianto smiled and leaned into the strong arms that wrapped around his waist.

 

Jack rested his head on Ianto’s shoulder and just held his young mate, watching as Ianto continued to cook. “Smells good, Yan.” Jack purred as he nuzzled Ianto’s neck, making it clear he was not just talking about the food. He was rewarded with a pretty blush that spread across Ianto’s face.

 

“It’s just some soup and couple of sandwiches.” Ianto tried to brush off Jack’s praise, but he was thrilled to hear it just the same. “It’s no big deal.”

 

“Yes, but I can’t remember the last time anyone cooked me anything or just took care of me. And that’s what makes it so special. That’s what makes you so special.” Jack finished in a whisper and pressed a kiss onto Ianto’s cheek.

 

Ianto turned in Jack’s arms so he could look into Jack’s beautiful blue eyes that he loved so much. “You’re special, too, Jack, and worth the effort.” Ianto reminded the captain softly.

 

Jack couldn’t find the words, so he expressed himself the best way he knew possible and kissed Ianto tenderly on the lips. As they kissed softly for a few moments, Jack decided that his new favourite hobby was kissing Ianto.

 

Food was soon forgotten as the two lost themselves in a kiss that expressed everything that words never could.

 

*****

Sirius grumbled under his breath as he paced back and forth across the carpeted floor of Emily’s old house, the one she’d bought and, with Remus, raised Ianto in. His worry about his son was visible in each of his frantic movements.

 

“Black, would you sit down! You’re giving us all headaches!” Snape’s unwelcome, in Sirius’ opinion, voice cut through his pacing.

 

The man in question turned to face Neville. “Really, out of all the people in the history of Hogwarts, you had to fall for him?” Sirius was not a supporter of Neville’s relationship with Snape, something he was very vocal about. 

 

Snape raised an eyebrow as he sneered back at Sirius, “The same could be said for Remus’ taste in you.”

 

Twin sighs escaped Remus and Neville as they watched their lovers fight, which was not surprising to them, but they had hoped they could at least attempt to get along for Ianto’s sake.

 

“Will you two grow up already? You’re acting like children! No, I’m sorry, children act more maturely than you two are acting right now.” A most unexpected voice roared, breaking up Sirius and Snape’s growing fight, and everyone turned around to see a fuming Neville.

 

Quickly getting over his shock, Draco clapped Neville on his shoulder. “Well done, Longbottom! I always knew you had it in you.” The blond knew that everyone, including him, had been shocked at Neville’s growth during the war; well, everyone expect Ianto. That man truly did know everything. It was no wonder young Neville had gotten Snape into his bed.

 

Harry beamed at his former housemate and now close friend. “Well said, Neville, I don’t think anyone could have put it better.”

 

Remus smiled at the blushing Neville. “I agree with Draco and Harry, very well put, Neville.” The wolf then turned his gaze to Sirius and Snape. “Now do you two think you can attempt to get along just for the night? Not for yourselves, but for Ianto, who you both care about? He has enough on his plate already and doesn’t need you two adding to his stress. So do as Neville suggested and grow up.” Remus snarled the last two words out.

 

Emily crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “I suggest you listen or the two of you will find yourselves on the couches for a very long time.” She told them sweetly. “Now shake hands and call a truce.”

 

Both men gulped; they were both very familiar with that tone of voice. It meant they had clearly pissed Emily off.

 

Grudgingly, Sirius and Snape shook hands and mumbled under their breaths, “Truce.”

 

Emily smiled at them before turning serious and zeroing her gaze on Sirius. “Good, now that’s settled. I want you to promise me, Sirius, and you, too, Draco, that you will leave Jack alone and let Ianto build his relationship with him. Ianto clearly has strong feelings for Jack and I won’t let anyone ruin his chance at happiness. Do not cross me, Sirius Black.” Emily warned her old friend.

 

Sirius nodded his head in understanding. “I promise. Ianto’s happiness is all that matters to me. I will not interfere in his relationship with Jack. But if Jack breaks Ianto’s heart or even makes him shed one tear in sadness, then all bets are off.” Sirius laid down his own rules.

 

A low growl escaped filled the air as Remus’ eyes seemed to glow. “If Jack breaks my son’s heart, then there will not be enough pieces of him left to fill even a small jar.” The wolf’s lips curled up in a snarl which left his fangs clearly visible.

 

Everyone in that moment pitied Jack Harkness should he ever make Ianto sad.


	6. Chapter 6

Resting on the couch with Ianto after they finished supper, a shiver of terror ran down Jack’s spine and he actually shuddered in fear.

 

It was a move that did not go unnoticed by Ianto, and concern and worry filled his blue eyes as he questioned, “Are you all right?” His hand came to rest on Jack’s arm.

 

Jack shook his head. “I think someone is plotting my death should I ever hurt you. Not that I ever plan on hurting you.” Jack told him softly.

 

Ianto smiled before turning serious. “I’m sorry about how overly protective my family is of me,” Before Ianto could continue, Jack placed a finger on his lips.

 

“Sirius let me in on your past and I understand why they are so protective of you. And if you think they’re bad, then you haven’t seen anything yet.” Jack explained his blue eyes serious.

 

Ianto was grateful that his dad had opened up to Jack a bit. “There’s still so much more to tell you. I’m sure my dad told you that my father is considered a dark creature?” At Jack’s nod, Ianto continued. “My father is a werewolf, and that same gene was passed onto me. Once a month, on the full moon, I have to take a potion that keeps me from changing, to keep my wolf under control.”

 

Ianto shifted in his seat; next part was going to be hard. “My wolf is part of the reason I tried to save Lisa.” Ianto noted that Jack perked up and his blue eyes bored into his. “Lisa was very dear to me; she was my sister, my pack-mate. I wanted, no, I needed to save her because she was family. So I sought you out as a means of helping her. The very last thing I expected was to find that you were my mate.” Ianto took Jack’s hands in his and held them tightly.

 

“You have no idea how hard it was to look you in the eye and lie to you every day when all my wolf and I wanted was to submit to you and tell you the truth about Lisa. But I was so torn between my loyalty to Lisa, my sister, and my loyalty to you, my mate. Then it all came crashing down on me when Lisa was found and, well, you know the rest.” Ianto stopped fighting back his tears and Jack wrapped his strong arms around his sobbing mate.

 

Jack peppered Ianto’s hair and face with kisses. “I’m so sorry that I hurt you like that. I promise you that I will keep you safe from now on.” Jack whispered the promise into Ianto’s ear.

 

Feeling Ianto nod against his chest, Jack decided it was time to share a few truths of his own truths with his mate. “You opened up to me; now it’s my turn. I told you before that I was from the 51st century and that was no lie. In my time, humanity has reached the stars and has branched out so far that not one of us is one-hundred-per-cent human anymore. My mother fell in love with, and was the mate of, a wolf-shifter. That’s how I knew from the moment I met you that you were my mate, the one I have been looking for for so long. But there is another reason why I tried to keep you at arm’s length; I don’t know how or why, but I was made immortal.” Jack laid bare his biggest secret to Ianto.

 

Pulling away just enough so he could look Jack in the eyes, Ianto felt his heart break. “But wolves mate for life! If you claim me, then once I am gone, you’ll be alone for the rest of your life. Jack, I love you! I can’t condemn you to a life like that.” Ianto felt tears fall from his eyes as his happiness was so cruelly ripped away from him.

 

Jack tightened his grip on Ianto. “I don’t care about that. Yes, it will be a long and lonely life after you’re gone, but damn it, I will not lose my chance of having a life with you. You are my mate! I have searched far too long for you to lose you now. It will be tough and painful when you’re gone, but it’ll be worth it as I’ll have the memories of our time together to keep me warm. Tell me you don’t want to give us a chance?” The pain of losing Ianto before he had him was even worse than when the Doctor and Rose had left him behind.

 

“I want that so badly. I do want a life with you, but do I have the right to make you live with that pain? Isn’t there anything you can to change it?” Ianto did not want to put Jack through the pain of living a life alone after he was gone.

 

Jack looked into Ianto’s blue eyes, swimming with unshed tears. “I was travelling with the Doctor when I had my first death. I was facing off against the Daleks, buying the Doctor time, when I was struck down, and then there was nothing but darkness, and then I awoke in Dalek dust. Using my vortex manipulator, I hopped back in time trying to land in the 21st century only to over-shoot and land in the 18th century. I have been waiting ever since then for the right Doctor to show up so I can get my answers.” Jack opened up to Ianto about his past.

 

Ianto leaned forward and kissed Jack softly on the lips. “Then when the Doctor shows up, I want you to go with him and get your answers.” Ianto whispered softly.

 

With love in his eyes, Jack slowly stroked Ianto’s cheeks with his fingertips, memorizing every inch of that handsome face, so thankful to whoever brought Ianto into his life. “Going with the Doctor might and might not give me the answers I seek. But I do know that I found what I didn’t even know I was looking for when I found you, I found a place where I belong and can call home. No matter what, I will always find my way back to you. I want a life with you, Ianto.”

 

“That’s all I want too, Cariad.” Ianto whispered. “A life with you would be my greatest of wishes come true.”

 

Pressing a button on his wrist strap, Jack climbed to his feet as music began playing from Ianto’s stereo and he held out a hand to Ianto, “May I have this dance?” he asked.

 

“I’d love too.” Ianto said as he slipped his hand into Jack’s and allowed the other man to pull him to his feet.

 

The words of the song were lost on them as Jack and Ianto gazed into each other’s eyes, their bodies moving in tune to a song only they could truly hear. They were the perfect picture of a couple very much in love.

 

They danced for hours as they enjoyed the feeling of their bodies pressed against one another, only stopping when sleep began to creep in, forcing them to stop. The late hour found Jack borrowing a pair of Ianto’s sleep bottoms as they curled around one another and shared a brief but passionate kiss before letting sleep lay claim to them.

 

*****

 

The next day found Ianto waking to a loving kiss from Jack, and after a short make-out session, the two men forced themselves to leave Ianto’s bed and set about getting ready for the day.

 

It was only when Ianto appeared in the kitchen dressed in a suit that Jack reacted negatively. Jack fought to keep Ianto at home, claiming his young lover needed more rest, but Ianto was determined to go into work, saying that with Gwen gone, they couldn’t afford to be another man down. At that point Jack gave in; he could see how right Ianto was, and after he made Ianto promise that he would stay on light duties and work in the Hub where Jack could keep an eye on him, did Jack agree to let Ianto go in to work.

 

Ianto looked up at Jack with mischievousness in his eyes. “If worse comes to worse, I can always ask my parents and the others for help,” he suggested.

 

In truth, Jack was okay with some of Ianto’s magical friends and family, although he did not like the idea of Sirius and Draco glaring at him all day for touching his Ianto. As much as it pained him to admit it, even to himself, the extra help would be welcomed if it meant keeping Ianto safely out of the field. Having outside help would also give the rest of his team the much needed back-up they had long been denied. “Fine, but only if it turns out to be something we can’t handle.” Jack gave in.

 

Ianto beamed at Jack and gave his love a thankful kiss on the lips. He understood that it took a lot for Jack to open up his home and the safety of his team to others. “I promise we will only call them in if we need to.”

 

Parting, Jack took a hold of one of Ianto’s hands and linked their fingers together. “I’ll hold you to that. Come along, Mr Jones, work is waiting.” Ianto raised an eyebrow in disbelief and Jack grinned at the look. “What? I get to watch you bend over and I won’t miss out on your coffee anymore.”

 

Ianto shook his head fondly; he should have known that was what Jack had in mind. It was nice to see his captain so happy, he liked seeing Jack smile.

 

*****

 

Arriving at the Hub, it was clear that it had a feeling of sadness over Gwen’s departure, which once again left a hole that needed to be filled. But they couldn’t deny that it was best for Gwen and her relationship with Rhys for her to leave this all behind before it cost her more than she was willing to lose.

 

As much as he was loath to admit it, there was a small part of Ianto that was greatly relieved to see that Jack was not at all broken up at the loss of Gwen. He felt badly for feeling that way, but it had hurt to see the way Jack would look at her and watch how strongly he would flirt with Gwen.

 

Wolves are, after all, very possessive of what is theirs. And Ianto was very possessive of his mate.

 

“Green was a surprisingly good colour on you.” Jack whispered teasingly into Ianto’s ear as he wrapped his arms around Ianto from behind.

 

Ianto felt his cheeks warm with a blush that began to spread; he honestly thought that he kept his jealousy under control. He just hoped that Jack hadn’t seen how hurt he had been every time Jack flirted with Gwen.

 

Too bad Ianto was going to be disappointed. “I’m sorry I hurt you with my meaningless flirting with Gwen. I was actually trying to make you jealous with all the attention I was giving her. Flirting with Tosh, Suzie and Owen didn’t seem to have any effect on you, so I thought the new girl might and so I upped my normal flirting,” Jack admitted.

 

Ianto was speechless as he stared into Jack’s blue eyes. “You mean to tell me that all this time you were just using Gwen to make me jealous? Do you have any idea how many times I wanted to throw you on your desk and ravish you until you knew who you belonged to?” Ianto growled low in his throat.

 

Jack’s eyes darkened with lust as he purred, “Really? And so, what about now?”

 

Lunging forward, Ianto claimed Jack’s mouth in a toe-curling kiss that left no doubt in the immortal’s mind that Ianto was laying his own claim on him. And in truth, Jack rather liked it.

 

“Bloody hell! This is not what I needed to see first thing in the morning.” Owen’s voice was better than a cold shower and Ianto quickly broke away from Jack.

 

It was move which immediately caused the immortal to pout at Owen, “Couldn’t you have waited until after I finished my Ianto-time?”

 

Tosh giggled as Owen smirked and answered, “That is my small joy in life, blocking you from getting the nasty on with our Tea-Boy.”

 

Feeling badly for the brightly blushing Ianto, Tosh decided to bring the attention back to the matter at hand. “With Gwen gone, what are we going to do?” She asked softly.

 

Jack rubbed his forehead. “I’ve had the feeling that Gwen was going to be leaving soon, so I’ve been thinking of approaching Andy Davidson to work for us as our police liaison, but I don’t know if he’s cut out to be a field agent. Ideas?” He asked the rest of his team.

 

Tosh nodded her head in agreement. “I hate to say this, but Andy might make a better liaison; Gwen could be a little heavy-handed and pushy when dealing with her former colleagues.”

 

Owen nodded. “That’s actually not a bad idea, but what about another field agent?” He brought up the other half of their problem.

 

Jack and Ianto held a silent conversation that by their body language Ianto was clearly winning. Pouting after losing, Jack turned to the others. “We may have a few people that could help.”

 

Ianto took over from there. “But first there is something you need to know. I am a wizard, as is the rest of my family, and since most of them are planning to stay around for a while, we could put them to work.”

 

The reactions from Tosh and Owen were just what Ianto and Jack through they might be. Tosh stared at Ianto with wonder in her eyes, while Owen’s was simply Owen. “Bullshit,” was his very emphatic and vocal response.

 

With a huge, shit-eating grin, Ianto drew out his wand and cast a silencing charm on Owen. When the medic could do nothing more than imitate a fish, Jack let out a booming laugh which nearly drowned out Tosh’s musical laughter.

 

It was later decided that Ianto should be the one to approach his magical family and friends, as well as PC Andy. The team reasoned that the offer coming from Ianto might go better with his friends and family because he knew them. As for him going to Andy, well, Ianto was, sad to say, the only one who treated the officers with respect, and was in turn, respected by the local constabulary.

 

Jack did not like the idea of having his Ianto out of sight for even a moment, having Ianto gone for at least half the day had the captain sulking up in his office.

 

Chuckling fondly as he entered Jack’s office, Ianto placed Jack’s cup of coffee on the desk, and then he moved around to kiss that pouting mouth. Without warning, Ianto found himself pulled onto Jack’s lap and the kiss turned from innocent to passionate in a heartbeat.

 

Pulling away from Jack’s tempting mouth, Ianto smiled. “No need to pout, Captain. I won’t be that long and when I get back,” he nuzzled Jack’s nose, “we can go out for a late dinner before heading back to my place.” He suggested with the quirk of an eyebrow.

 

Jack’s pout turned into a bright smile as he slowly stroked Ianto’s arm. “That sounds like a wonderful idea. I’m looking forward to tonight. Don’t be too long.” Jack whispered back; although he hated the idea of Ianto being out of his sight for even a moment, he knew he had no choice in the matter.

 

Ianto could sense Jack’s fear. “I’ll keep my comm on at all times. I’m going to talk to my family first, and then Andy agreed to meet me for a cup of coffee. I’ll be back in two hours, tops, and if I’m not, feel free to come and look for me.” Ianto told Jack.

 

“Oh, I plan to, Mr. Black-Lupin. If your gorgeous arse isn’t back here in the Hub and on my lap in two hours, I will come looking for you.” Jack growled.

 

Blushing lightly and attempting to keep what was left of his control, Ianto climbed off of Jack’s lap. “I’ll see you soon, Sir.” And with as much grace as possible Ianto scurried out of Jack’s office and the Hub with Jack’s laughter echoing behind him.

 

*****

Reaching his mother’s house, Ianto opened the front door. “Dad’s? Anyone here?” He barely finished speaking before a multi-coloured blur slammed into him, knocking him to the floor. “Hello, Tonks. Could we please get off the floor?” Ianto asked his favourite cousin while trying to hide his wince; the fall had sent a wave of pain through his still-healing ribs.

 

“I’m sorry, Ianto!” Tonks quickly climbed off him and helped him to his feet. She hadn’t missed the wince that crossed Ianto’s face; in her excitement of seeing Ianto, she had forgotten he was injured.

 

“It’s all right, Tonks. Are the others here?” He asked.

 

Tonks shook her head. “Everyone but Molly, the twins, Snape and Emily, are still here. Emily wanted to stay longer, but she needed to get back to work but said she’ll be back to check on you in no time.”

 

Ianto felt sad that he had missed saying good-bye to his mum, but knew that she needed to get back to Hogwarts. “That’s okay, but I need to talk to the others.”

 

Nodding excitedly, Tonks grabbed Ianto by the arm and dragged him to where the others were gathered.

 

“Ianto!” Sirius was up and out of his chair and pulling his son into a hug before the others even registered Ianto’s arrival.

 

Climbing to his feet, Remus moved towards his mate and cub, taking a good like at Ianto and smiling as he saw the look of peace in Ianto’s eyes. ‘Looks his and Jack’s talk went well,’ the wolf thought as he smirked to himself. “Son, not that I’m not happy to see you, but is there a reason you’re here?” He asked Ianto.

 

Pulling away from his dad, Ianto turned to face the rest of them. “How would you feel about working for Torchwood?”

 

A general chorus of “Huh?” and “What?” filled the air.

 

Sighing, Ianto began to explain what had happen last night. After Ianto finished laying out the plan to his parents and friends, he felt a sense of dread go up and down his spine as he watched matching sinister smiles spread across Sirius and Draco’s faces. Suddenly his brilliant plan didn’t seem all that brilliant.

 

“I think it’s a wonderful idea.” Luna spoke up suddenly, a bright smile on her face and a sparkle in her eyes.

 

Sirius grinned at the blond. “See? Even Luna agrees it’s a good idea. So when do we start?” 

 

It was Luna’s suggestion that Hermione, Tonks, Neville, Charlie, Harry and Draco stayed, along with Sirius and Remus, to offer the help that the Torchwood team needed. Ianto knew that Luna was up to something, he just had no clue what, and that worried him slightly, but he could not deny that Luna did indeed have a point. They would be the best choices to fill the voids at Torchwood Three.

 

Standing up, Ianto straightened out his jacket. “I’ll inform Jack once I get back. I hate to rush off, but I have another meeting to get to.” After getting another set of hugs from his parents, Ianto left.

 

Sirius was fine with working with Torchwood; this way he could keep an eye on Ianto.

 

*****

To say Andy had been shocked at Ianto’s phone call would be putting it lightly, yet, if it had been any other Torchwood member, he would have hung up immediately. But Ianto, the few times he had met him, had treated him with respect, so he decided he would give Ianto the benefit of the doubt. And maybe he could explain why Gwen was suddenly back on the police force and being transferred to Swansea.

 

“Andy, so glad you could meet me.” Raising his head, Andy greeted Ianto with a smile as the other man slid into the seat beside him. Ianto wasted no time in getting right down to business, “How would you like to work for Torchwood?” Ianto smiled as Andy choked on his drink.

 

*****

At the one-hour-and-fifty-five minutes mark, Jack was slipping on his greatcoat as he counted down the time. He could barely get over how possessive and protective he was of Ianto and he hadn’t even claimed the man yet. It worried him a little when he wondered how much more intense his desire to shield the young man would become after their actual mating.

 

Alarms began sounding throughout the Hub, and with a smile on his face, Jack bounced out of his office and was down to greet Ianto before his young lover could even blink.

 

Eyes fluttering closed, Ianto moaned as he found himself being kissed senseless by Jack. Only when the need for air became too great did they break the kiss, and Jack nuzzled Ianto’s cheek fondly as he whispered, “I missed you.”

 

Ianto leaned into Jack’s touch. “I missed you too. They all agreed to work for Torchwood.” Ianto added as an afterthought. He really hoped that Jack was listening as he just made purring sounds in reply.

 

Tosh’s soft giggles alerted them to the fact they were not alone. “Everything is quiet here, so why don’t you two call it an early night? Owen and I can handle things,” she offered.

 

Jack beamed at her. “Wonderful idea, Tosh, we’ll see you tomorrow. Come along, Yan.” Moving away from Ianto just enough to grasp his soon-to-be lover, oh, yes, he could not, and would not hold back any longer from claiming his mate, Jack dragged Ianto out of the Hub before the young man could offer for them to stay and help.


	7. Chapter 7

Jack and Ianto barely made it into Ianto’s flat before they gave into the desperate need and wanton desire coursing through their veins. Tongues duelled as both sought to dominate the kiss, but it was utterly Jack’s victory as he laid claim to his mate’s mouth.

 

Once Ianto whimpered in submission, Jack forced himself to break the kiss. “Tell me right here and right now if you don’t want this? I’ll stop until you are ready, but you need to tell me now if you don’t want to do this.” Jack demanded; he was on the edge of losing all control.

 

“I want this, Jack; I want you to make love to me, to claim to me as yours and yours alone.” Ianto panted out.

 

And that was all Jack needed to hear. “Bed, now!” He growled; he didn’t want to have to release his grip on Ianto but he refused to make love to his mate for the very first time on the couch or the floor. His Ianto was meant to be worshipped in a bed.

 

Making sure their lips never lost from one another they somehow managed to find their way into Ianto’s bedroom. Clothes were removed with care and yet in a frenzy of lust.

 

One glance at Ianto’s bare skin and Jack knew that he had never and would never see a more beautiful sight. Ianto blushed Jack’s favourite colour of rosy pink that the immortal devoured every inch of his young lover’s body with hungry eyes.

 

Jack moved in close enough that their bodies could finally touch, and Ianto shivered as Jack’s finger slowly stroked his lower lip. The immortal’s blue eyes bored into him and Ianto found himself spellbound.

 

“Ianto, I’m going to kiss you now.” Jack warned, his voice rich with lust.

 

“Okay, and I am going to let you.” Ianto’s voice was husky with his own lust. “I’m going to kiss you back.”

 

Ianto felt Jack’s chest rumble from the purr he released as Jack pulled Ianto in closer. Their eyes never broke contact as Jack’s arm wrapped around Ianto’s waist, his hand resting just above Ianto’s arse. He could feel Jack’s hot breath ghosting across his lips before Jack claimed Ianto’s lips in a kiss made of pure passion, need, lust and more than a hint of love.

 

The moment Jack lips touched his, Ianto was lost in a sea of passion; no one had kissed him like that before and Ianto could only cling to Jack as the Captain was the only thing keeping him a float.

 

Jack knew the moment Ianto submitted to him, and a low growl of possessiveness escaped into the kiss. For too long Jack had waited for this moment, the moment that Ianto Jones would become his and his alone. ‘By the time I am finished with Ianto, everyone, including Ianto, himself, will know that Ianto Jones is mine.’ Jack had never been this possessive over any lover before, but then again, Ianto had always been different; none of the others had been his soul mate.

 

Letting out a whimper, Ianto melted into the kiss. Never in his whole life had anyone ever been able to set his body on fire like Jack could. Another tiny whimper escaped Ianto’s mouth as Jack broke the kiss.

 

Chuckling deeply, Jack nuzzled the flesh behind Ianto’s ear. “On the bed,” Jack ordered in a gruff tone. He was on the edge; he needed his mate, now!

 

Ianto wasted no time in climbing onto his bed under the watchful eyes of Jack.

 

Never in his long life had Jack seen a more beautiful sight then his Ianto naked and aroused, and he crawled onto the bed, up towards Ianto, settling his thighs on either side of Ianto’s. “I am going to make love to you all night long. I am going to worship every inch of your body.” Jack purred out in a husky tone full of lust and desire.

 

“Please, Jack!” Ianto begged only to be silenced as Jack claimed his mouth in another lust-filled kiss.

 

Jack’s hands drifted down and along Ianto’s body, finding what he sought beneath silky chest hairs. He swallowed Ianto’s gasps of pleasures as he scraped his fingernails over both his nipples, as he teased and taunted them to their peaks.

 

Ianto’s body was on fire as Jack worked his own brand of magic against his skin. Breaking the kiss, Jack began moving further down his young mate’s body. Ianto’s back arched off the bed as Jack’s very talented mouth worshiped every inch of his body, nipping and licking every piece of skin he could find.

 

Trails of heated kisses made their way down Ianto’s body and past his navel until Jack reached the prize he sought. Grinning wickedly, Jack nuzzled Ianto’s inner thigh, loving the sounds he was getting from the young man.

 

A startled and breathless moan escaped Ianto’s parted lips as Jack’s mouth suddenly swallowed his aching cock whole.

 

“Jaaaacccckkkkkk!” Ianto keened as Jack hummed around him.

 

Hollowing his cheeks, Jack alternated between using his teeth, his tongue and his mouth to bring about as much pleasure as he could to his lover.

 

Ianto bucked with a pleasure that he had never felt before, his senses coming alive as Jack worshiped him.

 

Seeing that Ianto was close, Jack reached out one hand to grasp the lube sitting innocently on the nightstand. He was glad that Ianto had been so confident over the way their night would end. Coating his fingers generously, he gently eased a finger into Ianto’s tight hole.

 

“Oh! Jack!” Ianto dug his hands into the sheets beneath him as Jack brought his body to previously unknown pleasures.

 

Slowly Jack worked a second finger into him and Ianto didn’t know how much more he could take. “Jack, I’m so close!” he finally managed to get out. Between Jack’s mouth on his cock and Jack’s fingers in his arse, Ianto was teetering on a razor’s edge of control.

 

And that was just what Jack needed to hear as he increased his humming and his fingers found Ianto’s prostate.

 

“JACK!” Ianto cried Jack’s name as he came.

 

Jack greedily swallowed ever bit of Ianto before releasing his softening cock. Sliding up Ianto’s body, he kissed his young lover, letting him taste himself as he worked a third finger into Ianto.

 

Ianto greedily returned the kiss, lost in the taste of himself on Jack’s lips.

 

Breaking the kiss, Jack set his lips to work on Ianto’s neck as his fingers continued to stretch Ianto.

 

“Jack.” Ianto moaned as he began to impale himself on Jack’s fingers.

 

“Not yet, Ianto, I want to be inside you.” Jack whispered as he removed his fingers from Ianto and set out preparing himself.

 

Braced on one hand, Jack looked deep into Ianto’s eyes as he slowly entered his body.

 

Pain and pleasure both mixed together and Ianto fought back the urge to wince in pain.

 

“Shh, baby, it’s almost over, just relax.” Jack purred. The instant Jack had entered Ianto’s tight heat, he had felt as if he were home. He placed butterfly kisses along Ianto’s neck, giving his young lover the chance to adjust to him.

 

It didn’t take long before the pain was completely replaced with pleasure and Ianto began to beg. “Please Jack.”

 

Keeping his thrusts gentle Jack began moving slowly, wanting to make this night last, to give Ianto true pleasure.

 

Within seconds the only sounds that filled the air were moans and the rhythmic slap of flesh on flesh. Soon Jack’s thrusts began to speed up, and Ianto’s arms flew up to wrap around Jack’s shoulders, clinging to his lover.

 

Using his free hand, Jack wrapped it around Ianto’s throbbing member as he angled his thrusts to hit Ianto’s prostate over and over again, while chanting “mine” repeatedly.

 

Ianto tossed his head back and forth. “Yes, yours.” Ianto agreed, tipping his head back and symbolically baring his neck to Jack.

 

The animal buried deep in Jack’s soul took over and he bit down hard, sinking his teeth into Ianto’s offered flesh, marking him forever.

 

So lost in their pleasure were they that neither noticed their bodies begin to glow as they came as one. Ianto’s aura was a light blue colour and Jack’s a golden glow, as their glows merged and faded, they were united together, forever.

 

*****

A smile touched Luna’s lips as time and magic joined two souls for eternity.

 

*****

 

It had been one month since Ianto’s secret had come out and his wizard family had come to work at Torchwood. After the initial distrust shared by both sides, they soon found common ground on which to work.

 

Owen, surprisingly enough, came to like Neville the most; the medic brought out a snarky side in the younger man no one knew about. Ianto thought that Neville’s love for plants also may have helped them to bond. Of course, that brought Snape around as much as he could be; he was surprisingly possessive of his younger lover.

 

The whole bizarre Tonks/Owen courtship kept everyone amused as the strange young woman was more than a match for the snarky doctor.

 

Hermione and Tosh became fast friends; the two women were so full of knowledge and each found it wonderful to talk to someone who was willing to listen and to learn what the other knew. The two were often seen together talking about things that only Ianto seemed to understand.

 

Harry was the fondest of Andy, mainly due to the fact that former PC Davidson had developed an enormous crush on Hermione, one that was fully returned. Being around the blond man meant that she was smiling a lot more, something that she hadn’t done since her break-up with Ron.

 

Ianto would never say it out loud, but he was most grateful that Charlie had come along to check out Torchwood. After training dragons, he took quite well to the other inhabitants of Torchwood, and it seemed that Myfanwy had a new favourite after himself. She loved Charlie and allowed him to pet her whenever he wanted to, something that made Jack pout.

 

It was during that time that Ianto actually began to figure out what Luna had been up to when she suggested who should stay. As he had hoped, Charlie and Tosh were slowly finding their way to one another, and it became clear that Tosh’s feelings for Owen were slowly fading the more time she spent with Charlie. Ianto was pleased, as it became more and more clear that Owen was falling fast for Tonks, and that his cousin returned his feelings. It wouldn’t belong until they became a true couple, because Tonks would never allow herself to be just a shag.

 

Aside from his natural affinity with Myfanwy, Ianto was also grateful that Charlie had stayed around because after everything that happened with Mary, he had become Tosh’s protector, and it became clear that they were slowly moving from friends to something much more serious.

 

His and Jack’s relationship, on the other hand, was going stronger than ever. Jack had officially moved in the very next day after their first night together. They were still in what Remus liked to call their ‘honeymoon phase’; they could barely keep their hands off one another. Ianto couldn’t remember a time when he had felt more loved.

 

Draco and Sirius had even come to accept Jack as an important part of his life, and that was all Ianto wanted.

 

Ianto blinked in surprise as Luna suddenly appeared in the Hub. “Hello, Luna, how may I help you?”

 

The blond smiled at him. “I must speak to Jack, is he in?” She asked.

 

Curious as to why the young woman needed to talk to his mate, but knowing Jack would tell him if he thought it was important, Ianto nodded and pointed to Jack’s office, “He is in there. Would you like a cup of coffee?”

 

Luna shook her head no. “I won’t be here long, just enough to talk to Jack.” With that the blond danced her way up to Jack’s office, Ianto watching her go with a fond smile.

 

Jack blinked as his office door opened and closed, and he smiled at the fae blond before him. “Hello, Luna, how may I help you?” He asked placing down his pen.

 

Luna looked at Jack with infinite knowledge in her blue eyes and Jack swore he could see all of time reflected back at him; they reminded him of the Doctor’s eyes, so old and so full of power and knowledge.

 

“You are waiting for answers that will not help. To leave with the Doctor will bring about a year of extreme pain and unnecessary suffering, not only to you, but for Ianto also. When the time comes, choose wisely, Captain.” Luna warned Jack before dancing her way back out of the Hub.

 

Jack watched her go, her words echoing in his head.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this is the end but I promise there is a sequel in the works but I plan on finishing up some of my other stories before I focus on it, but it will be written I planning on writing it for another Big Bang.

It had been a week since Luna’s confusing statement and Jack was still trying to figure out what danger Ianto would be in if he left with the Doctor. He did not like the idea of his mate being in danger.

 

“Stupid Weevil, messing up my date night with Ianto!” Jack grumbled under his breath as he exited the Hub. He’d sent Ianto home earlier while he finished up some paperwork when the alert came in and now he was late. 

 

Just as he stepped into the open, all the air seemed to leave Jack’s lungs as a very familiar blue box appeared before his eyes. Hope and fear warred within him as the door opened and a man he had only seen in CCTV imagines at Torchwood One stepped out of the TARDIS; it was his Doctor, but at the same time, it was a whole new Doctor.

 

“Hello, Jack; I think it’s time we had a talk.” The Doctor greeted his former Companion.

 

Crossing his arms, Jack levelled a glare at the Doctor. “Yeah, I think it’s a little over due, don’t you?” he growled.

 

The Doctor knew that it was not going to be an easy talk, but he owed it to Jack to tell him the truth, and besides, the TARDIS had made it clear that she wasn’t moving until they talked.

 

*****

Ianto paced his living room with worry; Jack was late. He had called over an hour ago saying he was leaving the Hub, and once again, worry and fear filled him as his imagination went into overdrive thinking of what could have happened to his immortal mate.

 

He was in mid-pace when the door opened and Jack entered their flat. “Jack! Thank God you’re alright! I was so worried.” Ianto rushed over to his lover’s side. “Jack?” Ianto asked softly as he noticed a sense of peace in his mate’s eyes that he’d never seen before.

 

“The Doctor came tonight; he gave me what answers he could. But more than that, he gave me hope.” Jack still couldn’t wrap his head around everything the Doctor had told him.

 

Ianto cupped Jack’s face. “That’s wonderful, Cariad, what did he tell you?” Ianto asked as he led Jack over to their couch.

 

“He said that Rose brought me back to life by looking into the heart of the TARDIS. He can’t undo it, but it turns out that the TARDIS is a cheeky thing and made a little tweak in the restoration. Once I find my mate and love them, they can, if they so choose, they can share the vortex that lives in me.” Jack looked up at Ianto with hope in his eyes. “Ianto, you are my life’s mate, and I love you with all that I am, body, heart and soul.”

 

Ianto almost couldn’t breathe; was Jack saying what he thought he was saying. “Are you telling me that I am immortal like you? Because that’s all I have ever wanted, to be by your side until the very end of time itself.” Ianto was almost afraid to believe it.

 

Jack reached out and stroked Ianto’s cheek. “Yes, the TARDIS showed it to me. My vortex and your magic have been merging together every time we make love.” Jack explained excitedly.

 

Ianto couldn’t find the words to explain the pure joy that filled him at the knowledge that he would never have to leave Jack. So he decided to show him the best way possible and he surged forward and kissed Jack with all the love he was feeling at that very moment.

 

Jack clung to Ianto tearfully as he returned the kiss, deepening it so Ianto could feel his love.

 

Pulling away, Ianto looked up at Jack with desire-filled eyes. “Please, Jack, take me to bed and make love with me,” Ianto whispered softly.

 

“Always.” Jack whispered back as he helped Ianto to his feet and led him to their bedroom.

 

*****

Luna smiled at her boyfriend. “It is time for me to go, Blaise.” She told him.

 

Blaise blinked at his girlfriend; “Go? Go where?” he asked, confusion lacing his voice.

 

“It’s time to travel the stars and see what only we can see. I would like for you to come with me.” Luna offered.

 

A true smile spread across Blaise’s face as he took Luna’s smaller hand in his. “I will go anywhere with you.”

 

The smile Luna gave him could out-shine any sun, and so grasping his hand, the blond dragged him towards what appeared to be a blue police box. Blaise could see that a handsome yet skinny man was waiting for them; he was actually bouncing on his feet.

 

A smile lit up his face as the two arrived in front of him. “Luna, I take it you’ve completed your mission?” he asked.

 

Luna nodded, “Ianto Black-Lupin and Jack Harkness have found their way to one another and Ianto will be expecting their first child after tonight.”

 

The Doctor smiled. “Good, well time to go, then! Is your friend coming with us?”

 

Luna nodded, “Yes, he is, Great-Granddad. He is my Companion.” 

 

Blaise looked between the two with confusion in his dark eyes. “Luna, what’s going on? Who is this?”

 

Luna smiled at her boyfriend. “I was sent here to set right the wrongs that veered the timelines off their proper course. Gwen Cooper was never meant to join Torchwood; Jack and Ianto were always meant to become the happy couple we see today. But first, Great-Granddad, don’t you owe Jack an explanation?” Luna reminded him, crossing her arms and looking at him sternly.

 

A smile spread across the Doctor’s face. “I already did before coming to get you; he’s at home with Ianto.”

 

Happy with his response, Luna turned back to Blaise. “So, will you come with me?” She asked again, hope shining in her blue eyes.

 

Blaise smiled. “I may not have a clue as to what is going on, but I will go anywhere with you.” He kissed his girlfriend.

 

The Doctor smiled as he saw Susan shining through his great-granddaughter.

 

*****

Curled up together in sated bliss, Jack lazily ran a hand up and down Ianto’s back as he watched his young mate sleeping peacefully. He had waited so long for answers from the Doctor and had found something even better, a home and a family with Ianto and the others. Jack didn’t know what the future held for them, but knew he could make through anything with Ianto by his side.

 

The End


End file.
